Press Release: Cork City Council Hosts the WHO Summit of Mayors on Climate and Health
Cork City Council will welcome mayors, political leaders, environmental experts, practitioners, as well as community representatives from across Europe and beyond for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Summit of Mayors on Climate and Health, at Cork City Hall on the 5 and 6 of October 2026.
This event will be hosted by Cork City Council in collaboration with the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. The Summit will bring together national, city leaders and experts to examine how local government can respond to the growing impacts of climate change and build more healthier, resilient and equitable communities. The Summit is also an official event of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Conversations will build on the recommendations drawn from the work of the WHO Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH), led by former Icelandic Prime Minister, H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The event will showcase how city leadership can translate policy recommendations and scientific evidence into practical, community-centred solutions that improve health and wellbeing.
The Summit will feature plenary sessions, workshops, site visits and high-level political discussions that will contribute to the development and adoption of the Cork Call to Action on Climate and Health. This document will serve as a shared commitment by European cities to strengthen local leadership on climate and health.
The Summit takes place at a time when cities across Europe are increasingly experiencing health implications of changing temperatures, extreme weather events, air pollution and other environmental pressures. The WHO identifies climate change as a health challenge with unequal impacts significantly experienced by vulnerable populations.
The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD said:
“With severe weather events happening more frequently, climate change poses a serious challenge in how we safeguard public health and wellbeing. Following a period of unprecedented climate extremes, today’s Cork Summit of city mayors and public health experts from across Europe is timely. Convened as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, the Summit will consider how, through good city management, planning and design, emissions can be reduced, health outcomes for citizens improved and measures taken to protect our people against increasingly dangerous climate impacts.”
Minister of Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, said:
“Climate Change is not a distant threat; it is increasingly shaping the health of our communities. The WHO Summit of Mayors on Climate and Health provides an opportunity for political leaders, health professionals, community representatives and experts to work together to explore practical solutions to issues including extreme heat, flooding and the spread of disease.
“We are so proud to host this international gathering in Cork, during our Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I look forward to welcoming mayors from across Europe to Cork to this important event.”
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Damian Boylan, said he is delighted on behalf of Cork City Council and the people of Cork to welcome delegates from across Ireland and Europe to the Summit. The Lord Mayor said:
“The impacts of climate change are no longer distant or theoretical. They are already affecting the health and wellbeing of our communities, making this a timely and important gathering for political leaders.
“Cities are on the frontline of both climate action and public health, and this summit provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen leadership, share experiences, build partnerships and develop practical solutions that will help create healthier, more sustainable and more resilient communities.
“We are honoured that Cork has been chosen to host this important event and look forward to working with our European colleagues on a meaningful Call to Action for Climate and Health.”
Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, said:
“Public health begins in our cities and communities, in the air we breathe, the homes we live in and the green spaces we can access every day. This Summit is a chance for political leaders, technical experts, practitioners, and community voices to explore transformative responses to climate change while protecting the health of the people who are most at risk. I look forward to a discussion in Cork that is practical, ambitious, and grounded in equity.”
Valerie O’Sullivan, the Chief Executive of Cork City Council, said:
“As a city that is used to experiencing the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change, Cork is proud to host this important conversation.
“This Summit provides an invaluable opportunity for our cities’ political and civic leaders to share their knowledge and insight, to build strong partnerships, and to demonstrate how united and coordinated local action can deliver healthier, more resilient communities.”
Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Division of Health Systems of WHO Regional Office for Europe said:
“Climate change is a challenge that can be tackled only if we all work together across sectors—including health. As public health leaders, we have a responsibility to forge partnerships with all stakeholders so that, together, we can continue promoting health and well-being across the WHO European Region and beyond, creating cities and communities that are healthier, more resilient and more equitable, while improving people’s lives today and for generations to come. As we mark 40 years of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, we can build on its enduring vision of creating the conditions in which people and communities can thrive.”
“The Cork Summit brings together leaders who have the ability to turn this ambitious agenda into reality. The Cork Call to Action will serve as a blueprint for cities to strengthen climate and health action, while learning from one another and building on the evidence and recommendations already available.”
“Cities are where climate and health policies become real for all of us — in the homes we live in, the air we breathe, the food we can access and the ways we move around our communities.”
“The choices made in cities today will shape the health of generations to come. WHO will continue supporting cities and communities across the European Region to translate evidence into practical action. This means strengthening the capacity of local leaders, connecting cities to one another and ensuring that health is at the heart of decisions that shape the places where people live, work and grow.”
Cork City has been a member of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network for more than a decade and is also recognised as an EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Mission City with an objective of achieving climate neutrality and net-zero emissions by 2030. The city’s first-hand experience of community engagement, partnership working and sustainable urban development will provide a vital context for local leadership and international discussions.
This Summit is an invitation-only event and will take place at Cork City Hall and other locations across Cork City.