COP27 + COP2
Dr. Kathleen M. Pike
During my stay in Egypt last month, signs of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (aka COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh were everywhere. Over the past two weeks, heads of state, government officials and members of civil society have come together to take action towards achieving the global climate goals agreed under the Paris Agreement and treaties.
Climate change is seriously impacting the health of communities around the world.Climate change is severely impacting health, including mental health, in communities around the world. Mental health, especially emotional resilience, also has a significant impact on how well we respond to environmental changes, both individually and collectively.
COP27. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (aka COP27 or UNFCCC Conference of the Parties) has concluded. The conference aimed to build on the achievements and momentum of COP26 held in Glasgow last year. National leaders, business executives and members of civil society have addressed the multifaceted impacts of climate change, from rising sea levels to displaced communities to declining health conditions. The program was full of aspirations, commitments and promises. The Global Climate Action Report’s Marrakech Partnership, Columbia University Climate School reports, and many other sources around the world offer a mix of sober news and cautious optimism.
Effects of climate on mental health. We all know about the negative impact climate change is having on our planet. The climate crisis is also negatively impacting mental health in many ways. Some are direct, some are indirect. The American Psychiatric Association reports that stress and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are correlated with elevated temperatures. Trauma from extreme weather and climate events is on the rise. High-risk coping behaviors such as increased alcohol use have been associated with climate-related weather events. Increased frequency and intensity of water insecurity, floods, droughts and storms due to climate change will have social and economic impacts by affecting supply chains, markets and the flow of natural resources. This leads to community disruption and loss of social support, resources and livelihoods, all of which have domino effects on mental health.
policeman2 (“Police Squared”). COP ambitions2Care of People and Planet is about integrating awareness of individual and collective mental health into climate initiatives and commitments as both a critical vulnerability and a critical capacity in the fight against climate change. COP President and Director2Dr. Gary Belkin, a professor and colleague at Columbia University, said at the presentation:policeman2 We have come together to bring this together on a global agenda. Today, at COP27, the agenda has grown enormously. As with all things climate change, we are making an urgent catch-up. It’s certainly a race and one we have to win. “
Simon Steele, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), delivered a welcome speech at the official opening of COP27.Photo: Momoko Sato/UNIC Tokyo
A tense double-edged sword. Setting goals, countdowns and deadlines. A light that illuminates disasters. Details of the risk of omission. All of these tactics are part of a strategy to raise awareness of what is happening to the health of our planet.we know we need to get there knowledge When Emotionally reach out to people and inspire action. We also know that too much information can lead to cognitive overload, especially if the messaging is complex and inconsistent (in climate). The same thing happens with our emotions. Fear-based motivational efforts can lead to emotional overload and paralyzing anxiety. Under such conditions, the amygdala signals the hypothalamus to secrete stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Let This activates the freezing reaction. This is the exact opposite result of what was intended. The urgency needs to mobilize and find its space, not paralyze it, to advance climate action that achieves the health of people and the planet.
A woman fishing in Dili, East Timor. Studies show that women and girls are most affected by climate change.Photo: UN Photo/Martine Perret
where are the women? Women made up less than 34% of the negotiating team at COP27. At the leadership level they are even rarer. Last week, 110 world leaders were photographed in Sharm el-Sheikh. If you look closely, there are seven women on the stage. Women and girls are experiencing the biggest impacts of climate change, yet only seven. According to UN Women, the climate crisis is a “threat multiplier”, increasing social, political and economic tensions in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Existing gender inequalities are widening, making life more difficult and precarious for women and girls. It is imperative to amplify women’s voices in the movement for solutions and empower them to take leadership for the health of people and the planet.
COP27 + COP2 A global movement that contributes to the health of people and the planet. The impact of climate change on mental health is real. The impact of climate change on the mental health and emotional resilience of individuals and communities is also real. The health of people and the earth are two sides of the same coin. I just remembered that another name for our planet is Mother Earth. People and the earth are one.
For more information, see: cop27.eg.
