Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

127 countries due to historical patterns of greenhouse gas emissions. These are the main reasons why countries negotiate their commitments on reducing CO 2 emissions at the international level. To understand the progress and current state of climate change policies and appreciate what has been done in terms of climate adaptation and mitigation, it is necessary to be familiar with the most important political milestones on climate action. Relevant milestones in international climate action As introduced earlier, due to the history of greenhouse gas emissions, climate responsibilities are shared but differentiated, as “developed” countries have a higher burden of historical emissions compared to emerging economies, like most nations in Latin America and Africa and some in Asia. The problem is that climate action is now urgent, and while it is necessary for all countries in the world to reduce their emissions now, discussion is ongoing about the justice for those who historically had a low emissions burden and are strengthening their development at the cost of generating greenhouse gas emissions. Although the scientific evidence regarding global warming and climate change has been robust for several decades, political climate action began to gain momentum in 1977 when the executive committee of experts on climate change of the World Meteorological Organization reaffirmed the general scientific expectation of global warming and the need for better use of climate knowledge. This led to the organization of the first World Climate Conference in 1979, where scientists from different countries discussed climate and public policies, global systems, human influence on the climate system and its possible impacts, as well as land use and forests. This conference called for the need for international leadership and cooperation to conduct further research on the subject and generate better evidence (Zillman, 2009). Later, the World Commission on Environment and Development, also known as the Brundtland Commission, in 1987 emphasized that global warming, due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, could be a significant threat to the sustainable development of humanity (Brundtland Commission, 1987). As a result, the 43 rd session of the United Nations General Assembly established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to “provide internationally coordinated scientific assessments of the magnitude, timing and potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of climate change and realistic response strategies” (United Nations, 1989). The IPCC has already produced six assessment reports, the first in 1990 and the latest published in 2021-2022. These reports evaluate and