Summit Programme

WHO Summit on Climate & Health Cork City, October 5^th and 6^th 2026

Please note, that this is a provisional program, with potential for minor changes in the timing and the format of the schedule.

All registered participants will receive a full, detailed programme, including all panellists and speakers, by mid-September.

Each panel will consist of four-six panellist and is made up of a Technical Expert, a politician, a community representative and a city-based practitioner on the topic from across Europe

Day 0, Sunday, 4 October 2026

Room

Time

WELCOME RECEPTION

Atrium, New Civic Office Cork City Hall

5pm – 7.30pm

Lord Mayor’s Welcome Reception

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Damien Boylan welcomes delegates, local community partners, and key stakeholders to celebrate the opening of the event. The reception will provide a warm and welcoming opportunity to connect, build relationships, and recognise the invaluable support of local organisations and partners in making the summit possible.

Light Refreshments will be available

Day 1, Monday, 5 October 2026
Room	Time	Session
Entrance Hall, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall	08:00- 9.00am	Registration
Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall	09:00–09:30	Welcome Coffee An informal opportunity to arrive, connect with fellow participants and prepare for the opening session.
Main plenary room, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall	09:30–10:30	Opening Session To set the tone for the Summit, leaders will underscore the urgency of climate and health action and the role of cities in turning political commitment into practical change. Speakers: Cllr Damian Boylan, Lord Mayor, Cork City; Mr. Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland); Ms. Valerie O’Sullivan, Chief Executive Cork City Council Ms. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director of the Division of Health Systems, WHO Europe; H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland
Main plenary room, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall	10:30–10:55	Group Photograph and Coffee Break The official Summit photograph will be followed by a refreshment break.
Main plenary room, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall	11:00–12:00	Thematic Session 1: Moving in Cities for Healthier Lives Transport choices shape health every day. The session brings together political, technical, community and practitioner perspectives to discuss how transport choices shape health every day, from air quality and road safety to whether children, older people and residents with disabilities can reach school, services and each other. This session also explores how cities can move from car-dominated systems to healthier, safer and more inclusive streets, examining protected infrastructure, safer speeds, public trust, partnerships, evidence and sustained delivery. It will explore how walking, cycling and public movement can become part of everyday life across all neighbourhoods rather than a privilege for some.
Main plenary room	12:00 – 12:15	Creative Break Short pause before the next thematic discussion
Main plenary room	12:15–13:15	Thematic Session 2: Healthy Homes for Stronger Communities Homes shape health before people reach a clinic: whether they are warm, dry, affordable, safe and protective through heat, cold and rising energy costs. This session examines how cities can bring housing, energy and health together for households most at risk, considering retrofit, new-housing standards, social protection and local delivery alongside the effects of cold, damp and insecure housing on respiratory health, stress and mental wellbeing. The discussion will ask how investment can reduce inequalities and make healthier living conditions a foundation of climate action.
Lunch venue	13:15–13:45	Lunch Lunch and informal networking
Departure point	13:45–14:00	Entrance Hall, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall Transportation to Site Visits The parallel afternoon track grounds each thematic pillar's commitments in real city practice. The sessions will allow participants to experience linked visits, workshops and walking tours. This will allow mayors, experts, and community members to see and discuss the commitments in action on the ground. Participants attend the assigned Option A or B for their selected thematic pillar. https://www.corkcity.ie/en/doing-business-in-cork/summit-of-mayors/site-visits/
TBC	13:45–14:00	Political Session Political delegates Transition to Council Chamber	Site Visits All other delegates
	14:00–16:30	Political Session 1: Shaping the Cork Call to Action for Climate and Health This participatory Council Session will enable political representatives to shape the Cork Call to Action for Climate and Health. Through facilitated and pre-registered interventions, participants will discuss the draft's ambition, relevance and practicality, identify shared priorities and strengthen the basis for political adoption on Day 2	Participants are invited to explore neighbourhoods in Cork City to explore climate action and health actions that impact social wellbeing delivered through place-based, community-led approaches. These immersive visits will provide an opportunity to engage with local leaders, communities, and practitioners working at the intersection of climate and health. Each neighbourhood will showcase real-life examples of community-led and city-supported initiatives relating to active travel, sustainable food systems, housing, energy efficiency, green infrastructure, climate resilience, and healthy place-making. Through direct engagement with local projects, residents, and practitioners, participants will gain practical insights into how integrated climate and health actions can create more sustainable, resilient, and healthier neighbourhoods for all. For details of site visit click here
The Marina	16:30 – 18:00	Political Site Visit A dedicated visit for political representatives to connect the Summit's commitments with local action in Cork City and exchange perspectives on city leadership.
*Concert Hall, Cork City Hall*	19:30–21:30	Networking Dinner An informal evening gathering for Summit participants to continue conversations and strengthen connections.

Day 2, Tuesday, 6 October 2026
Room	Time	Session Room
TBC	09:00–10:30	Political Session 2: Shaping the Cork Call to Action for Climate and Health A focused exchange among political representatives on shared priorities, leadership challenges and opportunities for advancing city-led climate and health action. This session runs in parallel with Workshops 1–3.	TBC TBC TBC	Workshop 1: From Data to Action - Building City-Level Climate Resilience through the Lancet Countdown Indicators Organizer: Lancet Europe Countdown. A capacity-building workshop and interactive session. Workshop 2: My Green Space Tool Organizer: École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP). A capacity-building workshop and interactive session. Workshop 3: Place Standard Tool with a Climate Lens Organizer: Public Health Scotland. A capacity-building workshop and interactive session.
Main plenary room	10.30-11am	Welcome Coffee
Main plenary room	11:00–12:00	Thematic Session 3: Nourishing Communities for a Healthy Future Food shapes health, climate and community life through what is affordable, available and accessible. This session examines how cities can create healthier, more sustainable food environments through public procurement, community initiatives, sustainable diets, local supply chains and food-waste reduction. It connects food to land use, climate resilience and the shared health of people, animals and ecosystems, with particular attention to communities facing poverty or limited access to fresh food.
Main plenary room	12:00 – 12.15	Creative Break Short pause before the next thematic discussion
Main plenary room	12:15–13:15	Thematic Session 4: Nature-Positive Cities Community knowledge and political leadership are essential to healthier, better-prepared cities. This interactive dialogue connects leadership, lived experience and local knowledge to explore responses to interconnected climate and health risks. A facilitated exchange will surface practical lessons and shared priorities, including how trusted relationships, public health capacity and political leadership can work together before, during and after crises.
Millennium Hall	13:15–14:15	Lunch Lunch and informal networking.
Main plenary room	14:15–15:45	Adoption: The Cork Call to Action for Climate and Health The Summit will conclude its political programme through formal adoption of the Cork Call to Action for Climate and Health. The session will affirm the shared direction shaped through the Summit and invite endorsing political representatives to mark the adoption through a formal photograph.
*Main plenary room*	15:45–16:00	Closing and Group Photograph Closing reflections will draw together the Summit's key messages, acknowledge partners and participants, and conclude with a group photograph.

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WHO Summit of Mayors on Climate and Health, Cork City