Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how agreements at the recent COP 28 and previously are expected to affect the conditions in which vector-borne diseases proliferate.

The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health includes a commitment by governments to tackle the health threats of climate change. Commitments made at COP28 under the ‘UAE Consensus’ also include an agreement to reduce global emissions and accelerate climate change adaptation.

The extent to which the COP28 agreements will result in a real reduction in vector-borne disease risk in the United Kingdom is dependent upon the voluntary implementation of emissions reductions and adaptation measures taken by global nations as indicated within the UAE Consensus. If these emissions reductions and targeted adaptations are realised, this will reduce the likelihood of a worst-case scenario in the UK, specifically the likelihood of invasive mosquitoes that thrive in high temperatures establishing in the UK and the likelihood of mosquito-borne viruses being transmitted as warmer temperatures favour transmission.