Cork to host major summit on climate and health after invitation from World Health Organization

Cork is to host a major 'summit of mayors' for the World Health Organization (WHO) next year with a focus on climate and health.
It follows an invitation from the WHO's regional European office to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle, and council chief executive Valerie O'Sullivan, which was accepted at the June meeting of the city council on Monday.
The summit, due to take place in autumn 2026, will come a few months after the UN's Cop30 climate change summit in Brazil, and a key meeting next March of the World Health Assembly, the decision-making arm of the WHO.
The meeting in Cork will bring together mayors from dozens of cities, elected political leaders, and public health professionals from across the WHO's European region to discuss the issues emerging from Cop30, and the need for greater inter-city collaboration on climate and health, with a focus on preparedness, equity and sustainability.
'As a longstanding and active member of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and an EU Mission City, Cork City has demonstrated leadership in health and climate action that has helped to shape regional priorities and elevate the voice of Cork within the broader European context,' Mr Boyle said.
This further endorses our vision for the city to approach health and climate action in a holistic way to encourage innovation, new ways of working, new partnerships and new social and economic opportunities.
The proposed two-day summit is expected to involve high-level political meetings, technical exchanges, and site visits showcasing Cork's work in climate action, participatory governance, and community resilience.
Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency published its first National Climate Change Risk Assessment, which identified 115 key risks to the State posed by climate change, with extreme wind, coastal erosion, and flooding among the biggest threats.
But it has also identified risks to public health, including from flooding and from extreme heat, with those over 65 considered most vulnerable to heat-related impacts.

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