As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible worldwide, climate finance has emerged as a defining issue in international climate policy. It plays a critical role in protecting public health, strengthening resilient health systems, and supporting communities as they adapt to a changing climate. As governments prepare for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, ensuring climate finance reaches populations most vulnerable to climate-related health risks will be essential to translating commitments into meaningful action.
Committed annually to developing countries for climate action by 2035 (NCQG)
Annual mobilization target for international climate finance by 2035
Climate finance refers to local, national, and international resources mobilized from public, private, and alternative sources to support climate mitigation and adaptation. Under the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, climate finance reflects the unequal distribution of responsibility and vulnerability associated with climate change. Countries with greater historical contributions to emissions and greater financial capacity are expected to support countries facing the greatest climate risks and fewest resources.
While climate finance has historically focused heavily on mitigation, adaptation finance is increasingly important as climate impacts intensify. Adaptation investments are directly linked to public health, as climate change increases exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, and climate-related disasters. Ensuring finance reaches vulnerable populations is therefore essential to strengthening resilience, protecting health, and reducing inequalities.
The international climate finance system operates through multilateral funds, national investments, bilateral assistance, and private-sector financing. Institutions such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environment Facility (GEF), alongside mechanisms including the Adaptation Fund, support developing countries in implementing mitigation and adaptation initiatives.
In 2024, countries established the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), committing to deliver at least $300 billion annually to developing countries for climate action by 2035, with developed countries taking the lead. The goal also calls on all actors to work toward mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually in international climate finance by 2035. Its implementation provides an important opportunity to strengthen the connection between climate finance and health.
However, climate finance remains fragmented across sectors, limiting coordinated responses to interconnected climate and health risks. Integrating health and climate resilience into national strategies can better align investments while addressing food insecurity, displacement, livelihood disruption, and pressure on health systems. Climate resilience should therefore be viewed not as a standalone environmental objective, but as a foundation for health, social stability, economic security, and sustainable development that requires sustained investment.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2026). State of Finance for Nature 2026: Nature in the Red – Powering the Trillion Dollar Nature Transition Economy. UNEP.
Head, Climate and Nature Finance Unit, UNEP
