by Emma Lawrence
The Global Climate and Health Summit took place on the 16 and 17 July 2025 at the QEII Centre in London. Organised by The Physiological Society and supported by Wellcome, this groundbreaking and action-driven event addressed the critical intersection of climate change and human health. A major focus of the event was on heat resilience, a critical strand devoted to developing strategies to protect people’s health from rising global temperatures.
The summit served as a catalyst for turning evidence into impact. Clearly demonstrated throughout the event was that physiological understanding must be integrated with wider systems, disciplines, policies and partnerships to deliver real-world change. It provided a platform to build global networks, influence action where science meets policy, and produce tangible, real-world solutions to form a climate-resilient future. A huge breadth of individuals were brought together: physiologists, policymakers, engineers, health professionals, community leaders, people with lived experience and many more. All were united by the goal to protect lives in a changing climate and focused on delivering evidence-based, practical solutions in three key areas:
- Heat resilience – Protecting workers and communities from rising temperatures and ensuring sustainable cooling solutions.
- Air pollution – Mitigating the growing air quality crisis and its impact on human physiology.
- Sustainable nutrition – Advancing climate-friendly diets that improve health while reducing environmental impact
The Summit’s steering group, which shaped the heat resilience strand, included Dr. Jessica Mee (Research Fellow, FHL). Jessica’s role helped guide discussions on the structure of the conference, attendees, and refining the guiding principles statement. Her expertise added perspective to the Summit’s action-driven agenda, especially as it moves from evidence to implementation. With heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe, Jessica’s role in supporting the summit’s heat resilience initiatives underscores the importance of combining academic insight with policy action—ensuring strategies are inclusive, effective, and grounded in real-world physiology.
Reflecting upon the event, Jessica said “It was an outstanding experience to serve on the steering group and witness the summit evolve over the past 12 months. The event was profoundly meaningful and timely, thanks to a proactive team committed to driving real change. Attending in person was equally enriching, connecting with an international assembly of leading experts united by a passion for policy reform and safeguarding vulnerable communities from the devastating effects of climate change.”
In retrospect, Emma Lawrence (Research Associate, FHL) said “As a remote participant, I found the conference’s digital platform exceptionally accessible and intuitive, enabling seamless engagement. The breadth of speaker diversity – from geographic, disciplinary, and demographic perspectives – made for an interesting meeting. As an early career researcher, engaging with the global climate and health summit raised my awareness of the importance of impact, policy change, and developing research driven by real-world problems.”