World Environment Day: climate action for the wellbeing of people and the planet

World Environment Day 2026 is marked under the theme of climate action, reminding the global community that the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. Nature is already sending clear warnings through rising temperatures, melting glaciers, wildfires, biodiversity loss and growing pressure on the ecosystems that support human life.

For JA PreventNCD, this message is closely connected to prevention, health equity and the wider conditions that shape health. Climate change is not only an environmental issue. It affects health, mental wellbeing, food systems, communities, livelihoods and the ability of people and future generations to live well.

This connection was explored at the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026, which is a key event within JA PreventNCD, in the session “Protecting the Wellbeing of People and Planet at a Global Scale – Leaving No One Behind.”

Chaired by Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir, Director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of Iceland, the session brought together voices from human rights, climate justice, governance, Indigenous affairs, children’s rights and youth advocacy. Panellists included Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and South African human rights and climate justice leader; Nauja Bianco, Vice-Chair of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs; Birna Þórarinsdóttir, Executive Director of the National Committee for UNICEF in Iceland; and Muha Hassan from the Youth Advisory Group of JA PreventNCD.

During the opening the session, Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir reminded participants that wellbeing is not only about individuals, but also about relationships: between people, between generations, and between humanity and the natural world. As she described it, “we can’t have thriving communities on a degraded planet”, setting the tone for a discussion on why climate action must also be understood as action for health, equity and wellbeing.

The panel explored whether global efforts are moving quickly enough to safeguard both people and planet, and what must change to ensure that no one is left behind.

Kumi Naidoo emphasised the urgency of action. While awareness of interconnected crises has grown, he warned that progress remains too slow. “We need to make sure that we don’t continue to treat climate change as a standalone issue,” Naidoo said, stressing that the climate crisis is linked to economic systems, energy systems, food systems, transport systems, and governance. He called for sustained activism, collective pressure, and structural change.

Birna Þórarinsdóttir focused on children and future generations. She argued that if decisions were truly made with future generations in mind, policies would look very different. Her contribution highlighted the need for long-term thinking, accountability and decision-making that places the best interests of children and future generations at the centre.

From a youth and health perspective, Muha Hassan emphasised that protecting people and protecting the planet are not separate agendas. She pointed to growing recognition that climate action is also health action, and that prevention, equity and sustainability can align. At the same time, she expressed frustration with short-term decision-making cycles, the exclusion of affected communities from policymaking and weak accountability when international commitments are not upheld.

Nauja Bianco brought an Indigenous perspective from Greenland, calling for more inclusive approaches that bridge regions, cultures and knowledge systems. She stressed the importance of collectivistic values, good governance and the right of Indigenous peoples to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their land, resources and future.

A central message from the session was clear: achieving wellbeing for both people and planet requires faster, more inclusive and more future-oriented climate action.

For JA PreventNCD, this is highly relevant. Preventing cancer and other non-communicable diseases requires action on the broader social, environmental and commercial determinants that shape health. It also means recognising that climate action is health action, and that prevention must include the conditions that make healthy lives possible.

On World Environment Day, the session offers a clear reminder: protecting the wellbeing of people and planet requires faster, more inclusive and more future-oriented action. As part of JA PreventNCD, the Wellbeing Economy Forum creates space to explore these connections and to ask how societies can build healthier, fairer and more sustainable futures.

Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJHq7LRtFHE