The pandemic underscored the reality that, in general, health emergencies should be tackled through an intra-institutional, collaborative and cross-cutting approach. In the last few years, healthcare systems have been under strain to face these challenges while simultaneously having to decarbonise, adapt to resource depletion, and innovate to sustain themselves and deliver quality care to those in need. In 2019, a Health Care Without Harm report calculated that healthcare’s total carbon footprint is equivalent to the fifth largest emitter on the planet. At the same time, climate change is a human health threat. As global temperatures rise, so do the human health risks from extreme weather events, heat stress, droughts, flooding, and the evolution of climate-sensitive diseases.
There is an opportunity for the next EU mandate to progress on the integration of health policy into its environmental and climate objectives. For example, digital innovation and increased circularity in the medical technology sector can both support the EU’s transition to climate neutrality and improve the quality and efficiency of public health, reinforcing the nexus between health and climate outcomes.
Questions for consideration include:
How can health policy find a home in the European Green Deal?
Are European stakeholders understanding the co-benefits of climate action for public health in Europe? What do citizens have to say on this?
Are there misconceptions about costs and patient safety when it comes to
decarbonisation in the medical sector?
SPEAKERS
Hosams Abu Meri
Minister for Health of the Republic of Latvia
Evelyn Brakema
Chair and Co-Founder of the Green Health Alliance
Sarada Das
Secretary General at the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
Elena Višnar Malinovská
Head of the climate adaptation & resilience Unit at the European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA)
Robert Metzke
Senior Vice-President and Global Head of Sustainability at Philips
Marina Romanello (online participation)
Executive Director of Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change and Senior Research Fellow
MODERATOR
Dharmendra Kanani
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Spokesperson of Friends of Europe
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