UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change brings together health professionals to advocate for just responses to the climate and ecological crisis, promote the health benefits that flow from those responses, and empower members and health professionals to make changes in their professional and personal lives to respond to the crisis.
Our vision is for a just, sustainable, healthy world.
Latest updates
Key questions for green surgery
By Melissa Pegg, Fellow in Sustainable Surgery The Green Surgery Project, supported by the Health Foundation involves key stakeholders from national institutions, aiming to produce an evidence-based guide and recommendations [...]
Economic growth is supposed to save Britain, but sadly it’s more likely to destroy us.
by Richard Smith Growth as the central concern of economics is, points out Geoff Mann in the London Review of Books, a relatively recent phenomenon.1 Adam Smith never mentioned it, [...]
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Our Principles for a #HealthyRecovery
The covid pandemic has shown the strength of the world’s united health community. As we recover it’s vital that we don’t lurch from one health crisis to another, driven by climate change and environmental degradation. The world needs a #HealthyRecovery – one that improves human health, and builds resilience in health systems, and in the environment upon which our health depends.
In a collaboration between medical experts amongst our membership, and climate scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, we’ve developed six principles which the UK government must follow in designing and delivering their post-Covid economic recovery package to ensure a #HealthyRecovery.
Prioritise health for people & planet. Every decision should be assessed in relation to its impact on health and climate, as much as on the economy. Measures should exceed existing commitments to protecting health and the environment. Let’s strengthen standards, not sacrifice them.
Build a resilient & sustainable economy. Rather than seeking to return to how things were six months ago, the government’s recovery measures must increase the resilience of our economy, and of our key services, social systems, population health and environment.
Accelerate carbon reduction. Recovery must be consistent with the government’s commitment to achieve carbon net-zero in the UK by at least 2050. Rather than simply avoiding carbon intensive sectors, investment must be targeted on low carbon and carbon reduction industries.
Reduce health inequalities. Covid-19 has revealed further health inequalities in the UK, and reminds us that crises do not affect everyone equally. The same is true of climate change. The government take this opportunity to close the gaps through their recovery package.
Follow the science. Recovery should draw on the insights of health and climate scientists, as well as economists. Health professionals have protected our health in the crisis, now the government must engage with them to safeguard it against the growing threat of climate change.
Recovery is everyone’s responsibility. Covid-19 has shown our capacity for collaboration across sectors. Businesses, public services, and communities have all stepped up to respond. Our recovery also needs to draw on all of the talent our country has to offer – not least from the health community.