At COP 31 today, the European Commission launched the Multilateral Initiative on Climate & Health Research Funding together with the Wellcome Trust and public research funders from five continents. As climate change increasingly shapes health outcomes around the world and research remains fragmented, the initiative will help funders align and coordinate investment needs and research priorities.
The Multilateral Initiative on Climate & Health Research Funding is the first global alliance of funders dedicated to climate and health research. It will speed up innovation, reduce fragmentation and fast-track research into evidence-driven policies, technologies and practices that protect people’s health from the effects of the climate crisis and drive climate action.
The Multilateral Initiative on Climate & Health Research Funding has 5 strategic goals:
- A stronger global climate and health research community
- Optimising research funding resources
- Increasing research quality and relevance
- Clearer pathways to impact
- Prioritised, trusted and open climate and health science
The initiative is the first to bring public research funders from across the world together around climate and health. Through the collective action of its members and partners, it will be able to deliver impact going beyond what would be possible through the individual work of different funders. The initiative will benefit from peer learning, collective advocacy, convening power, alignment of funding flows and influence on research practice.
Once launched, formal membership of the initiative will be open to any organisation that funds climate and health research. The initiative will engage and collaborate with other key stakeholders within the climate and health eco-system, such as research institutions, international organisations, policy think tanks, industry and other relevant alliances and platforms. The European Commission is funding a dedicated secretariat for the multilateral initiative, which will begin operating in January 2027.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said:
“At a time when multilateralism is under pressure, we join forces with research funders from around the world. Together, we will align our investments and turn evidence into action for the benefit of citizens.”
Background
The Multilateral Initiative on Climate & Health Research Funding is an emerging global alliance of public, multilateral and wider research funders working to accelerate coherent, equitable and impactful climate and health research. Its vision is a world where all people are empowered and protected from the health impacts of a changing climate.
It was founded with support from the European Commission and the Wellcome Trust, and is being shaped through 2026 by a Design Group comprising the European Commission, the Wellcome Trust and nine national public research funders: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada), the French National Research Agency (ANR), the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Philippines Department of Health, UEFISCDI (Romania), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), in consultation with the wider funder community, researchers, grantees and World Health Organization (WHO).
A partnership specialist NGO, The Partnering Initiative (TPI), has facilitated the engagement and development process. From January 2027, the initiative’s permanent secretariat will be hosted by a consortium of four Design Group members (ANR, ZonMw, IDRC and UEFISCDI), funded through a European Commission Coordination and Support Action grant running until December 2029.
More information
Horizon Europe
Press contact:
EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation
