Addressing Climate Change and Health Inequalities at the European Health Forum Gastein 2025
The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) is one of Europe’s leading health policy events, gathering policymakers, researchers, and civil society to shape a healthier, more resilient future for all. Each year, it serves as a platform to connect science and policy, exchange ideas, and inspire solutions to Europe’s most urgent public health challenges.
This year’s edition, EHFG 2025, particularly emphasized the linkage between climate change, health and equity. As Europe continues to face record-breaking heat waves, floods, and wildfires, the Forum highlighted the urgent need to protect the most vulnerable groups from the growing health impacts of a changing climate.
Understanding climate impacts on the most vulnerable
Among the key sessions was “Climate change and health inequalities: Protecting the health of the most vulnerable from climate threats”. The panel brought together leading voices to discuss how climate change amplifies existing health inequalities—and what can be done to build resilience.
Members of the Climate-Health Cluster contributed insights from ongoing European research and innovation projects, sharing evidence on trends in vulnerability and exposure, and recommendations for action to reduce health impacts and strengthen community resilience. The discussion explored how climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities linked to age, gender, socio-economic status, occupation, and chronic disease, and underscored the need for coordinated interventions across sectors—such as early warning systems, improved urban design, and better data collection—to ensure that adaptation and mitigation efforts are inclusive and just.
The need for equity in climate and health action
Audience engagement was particularly strong. An interactive poll revealed that participants were already aligned with the view that addressing the root causes of social inequalities is essential for effective climate and health action. This reinforced the importance of integrating equity into research, policy, and implementation, ensuring that adaptation and mitigation measures benefit all, regardless of social or economic background.
It is important to continue working together—governments, researchers, and communities—to advance evidence-based, equity-centred approaches that protect the most vulnerable and strengthen Europe’s resilience to climate change.
Major policy events like Gastein ensure that scientific evidence and innovation inform policy decisions. It also strengthens collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working toward a shared goal: protecting health and promoting equity in a changing climate.
