The Face of Change uses the power of storytelling to mobilize unprecedented engagement and investment in life-saving health solutions by COP30.
DUBAI, Dec. 2, 2023 – Ahead of a historic, first-ever Health Day during the 28th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, Forecasting Healthy Futures—in partnership with TIME CO2—announces the launch of a bold and ambitious global campaign - The Face of Change - that centers health as the human face of climate change. With a focus on real and relatable stories, proven, ready-to-scale solutions and open-source creative content to amplify and activate, the campaign aims to inspire a global movement to save millions of lives today from the direct health impacts of climate change while protecting the health of billions of others by accelerating action to arrest global warming.
Climate change is already having devastating impacts on human health, making it, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), "the single biggest health threat facing humanity." The challenge will only get bigger in the coming decades as rising temperatures are projected to expose billions more people to deadly extreme heat, intensifying food insecurity, worsening wildfire smoke, and outbreaks of climate-sensitive infectious diseases like malaria, dengue and cholera.
"The people that did the least to contribute to CO2 emissions are bearing the brunt of the health impacts of climate change," said Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More, which hosts the Forecasting Healthy Futures partnership. "But while the challenge is getting bigger, the solutions are getting better. By putting people at the center of climate action and investment, we can help inspire the transformative action that the moment demands."
The Face of Change campaign aims to drive breakthrough action for people and the planet by being:
- Story–led: The campaign is grounded in real stories from frontline heroes and innovators that make climate change resonant and relatable.
- Solution-focused: The campaign focuses on specific, investible solutions that can save lives and protect the planet.
- Community-driven: The campaign is powered by hundreds of civil society organizations from communities where health is being most impacted by climate change.
- Open Source: All campaign content is made available for free to partners to power their own efforts to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.
The campaign creative was developed and inspired by Brazilian artist Laís Sambugaro, who has experienced climate change firsthand and witnessed the deadly health impacts on her own community. In addition to TIME CO2, The Face of Change is partnering with powerful storytelling platforms like Open Planet, a free global library of visual footage for climate storytelling, and global messaging app Snapchat to equip community groups and citizens with tools to demonstrate how climate is impacting health in their own communities.
"Our vision at TIME and TIME CO2 is to accelerate climate action through storytelling that inspires and drives progress forward," said Shyla Raghav, TIME’s Chief Climate Officer. "Throughout the campaign, we’ll use our platform to elevate frontline voices and compelling stories, actionable solutions and insights alongside expert perspectives to drive system-level change," Raghav noted.
The Face of Change gives special emphasis to specific, investible solutions that can turn resignation into resolve by addressing the most urgent elements of the climate-driven health crisis, like:
- Early warning systems predict and prevent climate-sensitive infectious disease outbreaks.
- Expanding solar power in rural health clinics can ensure reliable energy for surgeries, baby deliveries and cold chain for vaccines.
- Tree-equity and clean cooling efforts in urban environments can save lives from extreme heat while eliminating gigatons of CO2 emissions.
- Water purification techniques, like chlorination, work to reduce mortality rates among children under 5 by up to 30% in India and Africa.
- Seasonal treatment strategies and novel mosquito technologies eliminate outbreaks of diseases like dengue and malaria that thrive in a warming world.
"For many years, frontline communities have been witness to the devastating health-related effects of climate change," said Olivia Ngou, campaign partner, Executive Director of Impact Sante Afrique & Global Coordinator of CS4ME. "It’s time to sound the alarm – before it’s too late - tell real-life stories and, finally, mobilize the political will and resources needed to respond."
Over the next two years, the campaign will build a movement that empowers global innovators, grassroots activists and decision-makers to do, fund, demand and be the change we need to see in the climate fight. The campaign will activate during key moments on a global scale, alongside frontline advocates and partner organizations, to drive breakthrough action and funding in transformative solutions that can accelerate progress now.
Campaign Ambassadors include Dr. Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation and Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, Dean of the NYU School of Global Public Health, Bience Gawanas, Board Vice Chair of The Global Fund, Dr. Vanessa Kerry, Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization and CEO of Seed Global Health, Omnia El Omrani, COP27 Youth Envoy, Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation, Ashwin Vasan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Campaign partners and collaborators include ALLCOT IO / ALLCOT Group, American Forests, Blue Crab Strategies, BridgingTheGap Ventures, The Climate and Health Coalition, The Clinton Health Access Initiative, CS4ME, The Global Fund, Global Fund Advocates Network, Goodbye Malaria, NYU School of Global Public Health, Open Planet, Philips, The Rockefeller Foundation, Snapchat, Seed Global Health, United to Beat Malaria and the WHO Foundation. The campaign is supported by a number of cross-sector organizations, including the NYU School of Global Public Health, Royal Philips, Reaching the Last Mile and Snapchat.
Visit faceofchange.org to learn more and take action with the campaign.
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About Forecasting Healthy Futures
Forecasting Healthy Futures is a global coalition of leading health and technology organizations committed to mobilizing the political will, financial resources, and innovative solutions needed to protect global health gains from the threats posed by climate change. Malaria No More convenes and leads the consortium. Forecasting Health Futures’ partners include Reaching the Last Mile, Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), PATH, the Tableau Foundation, IBM’s Weather Company and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). For more information, visit www.ForecastingHealthyFutures.org.
About TIME CO2
TIME CO2 is TIME’s new division that marks a significant step forward in the fight against climate change. As individuals and businesses, we all have a responsibility to take action and protect the planet for future generations. TIME CO2’s mission is to equip and empower climate champions, as it recognizes that every person has the power to make a positive impact. By providing essential tools and resources, TIME CO2 is not only supporting climate action, but also creating a community of like-minded individuals and organizations dedicated to making a difference.
Media Contacts
Jennie Bragg｜Malaria No More
jennie.bragg@malarianomore.org
Samantha Kagan｜The Lede Company
