Lancet Countdown and European doctors emphasise better climate policy equals better health
The Lancet Countdown, the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) have published the following policy priorities on climate change and health:
Prevent heat-related health impacts
Prioritise reducing climate-related health inequalities
Take urgent action on climate and health
We call for a coordinated approach across all sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and urge Europe to act now to align climate policies to improve mitigation and adaptation, while protecting public health.
The priorities were developed by selecting key indicators from the Lancet Countdown’s 2024 Europe Report on Health and Climate Change.
According to the report, there were over 60,000 estimated heat-related premature deaths in the summer of 2022. Therefore, countries in Europe should develop comprehensive heat health action plans at national and local levels to promote health equity to protect particularly vulnerable populations.
On 13 May, CPME co-organised a webinar on the role and responsibility of different actors of the healthcare system in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Dr Ina Kelly, Chair of the CPME Working Group on Climate Change, emphasised to the participants that “A transformational vision is required from our politicians for a more sustainable and resilient Europe”.
CPME has collaborated with Lancet Countdown since 2018 and raised the climate to one of our highest priorities of our organisation. Our Health Check for Europe 2024-2029 highlights taking climate action for better health as one of European doctors’ five ambitions to continue building the European Health Union.
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