The WHO recognizes climate change as the biggest health threat facing humanity and that it has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health. The World Health Organization’s primary role is to direct and coordinate international health through 6 core functions, one of which is “articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options.” In furtherance of this mandate, WHO’s Health Ethics and Governance (HEG) Unit (the Secretariat) has established a new and dedicated work stream on climate change, health and ethics. Through this work, WHO is committed to working with Member States, UN and other international agencies and the wider global health and research community to deliver a range of supporting tools and materials to help navigate ethical issues across the health (and health research) and climate change field and embed them effectively in relevant policies.

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG shall have the following functions:

1. to provide advice on the identification of stakeholders in the field of health and climate change, including appropriate engagement strategies, to ensure an inclusive engagement process, and to help in considerations of the rights and responsibilities of different stakeholders in ethical decision-making; 

2. to advise the Secretariat on the development of evidence gathering methodologies, with particular reference to a series of case studies designed to identify the practical ethical challenges arising for health and research stakeholders responding to climate change; 

3. to contribute with expert inputs into drafts of supporting tools/frameworks and/or guidance developed to support the successful inclusion of ethical considerations in policy and decision making in climate change and health; and

4. to review and make recommendations to the Secretariat on the final tools, frameworks and guidance, including on any proposed dissemination strategies.

Following a call for interests, WHO has appointed the 12 members of the TAG-Ethics & Climate Health, who serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to ethics and climate change and health.

In the selection of the TAG members, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance.

Members of the TAG-Ethics & Climate Health have been appointed to serve for a period of 2 years.

Their appointment may be terminated at any time by WHO if WHO's interest so requires or as otherwise specified in these terms of reference or letters of appointment. Where a member’s appointment is terminated, WHO may decide to appoint a replacement member.