Colombia ranks first in a new Global Climate and Health Alliance scorecard that measures how well countries integrate health into their national climate plans, or NDCs. Nigeria, Cambodia, Paraguay and Timor-Leste round out the top five, with 19 of the top 20 scores going to low and middle income countries. The scorecard reviewed 132 climate plans submitted to the UNFCCC for 2035. At the other end, Japan, India and New Zealand each scored 2 out of 32 for failing to connect climate change with human health. Several large emitters, including the EU, China, Brazil and the UK, mention health in their plans but lack emissions cuts strong enough to protect it. Only five countries set targets for black carbon, a short lived climate pollutant that drives both warming and air pollution. With health impacts from floods, heat and wildfires already visible, the report argues governments are missing a chance to improve air quality and public health while cutting emissions. The full scorecard is meant to help policymakers find gaps and compare progress across countries.
