Brussels and other major economies are talking about the health dangers of climate change but are not cutting emissions fast enough to match their words, according to a new analysis of 132 national climate commitments by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, a coalition of non-governmental organisations.
The alliance's 2026 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Scorecard assesses how well countries integrate health into their climate plans across eight categories, including climate-related health impacts, air pollution, healthcare sector action, health co-benefits, just transition, governance, financing and implementation.
While the EU, Indonesia, South Africa, Türkiye, Canada and the United Arab Emirates score relatively well on health, their emissions reduction pledges are not sufficient to protect populations, the report finds.
"Hypocrisy is a perfect word for that," Jess Beagley of the Global Climate and Health Alliance told Euronews, arguing that governments cannot claim to prioritise health without tackling the fossil fuel dependence that drives global warming and pollution. "We can't pay lip service to health unless we are taking action on health," she said.
EU stands out on air pollution target
The EU, which submits a single joint NDC covering all 27 member states, ranked 12th overall. Colombia topped the ranking with 29 points out of 32, followed by Nigeria with 25 and Cambodia with 24. Notably, 19 of the 20 highest-scoring countries are low- and middle-income economies.
Among the high-emitting economies with mid-range health scores, the EU was the only one whose climate plan included a specific target for reducing air pollution, according to the assessment. That target concerns the phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons by 2050. However, none of the countries in this group set specific targets for black carbon, nitrous oxide or ozone—pollutants that contribute to global warming and can damage human health.
For Beagley, the contradiction is clear: fossil fuels drive climate change while also causing harm through air, water and soil pollution, with consequences ranging from respiratory illnesses to cancer and neurological disorders. Healthcare systems are left dealing with the consequences of decisions made across the wider economy, she said.
"The healthcare [sector] is really on the front line," Beagley said. "The burden that falls is the end result of a wider climate action that has been taken or not taken."
Rich countries under pressure
The health consequences are already being felt worldwide. The report cites more than 1,400 deaths and over 6,600 people missing in Nepal, eight million children at risk of hunger in Eastern and Southern Africa, and tens of thousands of deaths associated with European heatwaves. Recent events, including Spain's DANA storms, underscore the urgency.
"If this year doesn't change the way that we're taking action on climate and health," she said, "then it's pure wilful denialism and an abandonment of the populations that government should be protecting."
Beagley argued that wealthy countries with high historical emissions must cut pollution faster and help finance climate action in developing economies. "It really should be on the richest and highest emitting countries in the world that have profited from fossil fuel-driven development over decades and decades," she said. "Those countries should be reducing their emissions furthest and fastest."
For the EU, that means cutting its own emissions while providing financial support to countries in the Global South to implement their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. The bloc has already pledged significant climate finance, but the alliance says more is needed.
The alliance also highlighted gaps in policymaking, with health ministries closely involved in developing national climate plans in only 15% of countries covered by the analysis. Without their involvement, governments risk overlooking the health consequences of decisions on energy, transport and industry.
As the EU and other major emitters prepare to submit updated NDCs, the scorecard serves as a reminder that health pledges must be backed by concrete action. The bloc's own emissions reduction targets are still far from what scientists say is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
