In anticipation of the inaugural Health Day at the Conference of the Parties (COP28), the Norman Foster Foundation has collaborated with Bupa, C40, and Lancet Countdown to advocate for immediate cross-sectoral collaboration, emphasizing the escalating climate and health risks confronting urban populations.

Norman Foster, President of the Norman Foster Foundation, participated in an event that brought together distinguished figures from architecture, engineering, urban planning, public health, city halls, and local communities. The objective was to engage in discussions on accelerating multisectoral action to design cities that serve as healthy and resilient environments for people to live and thrive in, particularly amidst a changing climate.

Norman Foster stated, “The future of our society is the future of our cities—they are our greatest invention. The Norman Foster Institute, in a time of climate change, is dedicated to those who wish, through practice or education, to improve the quality of life in cities worldwide. Sustainable design in urban planning and good governance supported by objective and measurable criteria are essential in achieving the mission of the Norman Foster Institute and the Norman Foster Foundation. As we tackle these challenges, COP28 provides a significant platform to discuss and implement sustainable urban solutions.”

Participants:

• Norman Foster, President of the Norman Foster Foundation
• Dr. Marina Romanello, Executive Editor at Lancet Countdown
• Nigel Sullivan, Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Bupa
• Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and the Environment Department, WHO (Blue Zone Travel)
• Bassim Birkland, Seed Global Health Country Director, Zambia
• Md. Atiqul Islam, Mayor of Dhaka North, Bangladesh Leadership Cityo
• Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona for the 2030 Agenda, Digital Transition & International Relations
• Moderated by Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent at TIME.

Moreover, the event included the launch of a newly released report that underscores the increasing climate and health risks faced by urban populations. The key principles of the report will be applied to the Norman Foster Institute for Sustainable Cities programme, launching in January 2024, with Bupa as the exclusive health partner.