News

8 Jan, 2010: Brussels, Post-Copenhagen Position Statement

World leaders failed climate and people’s health

The UN negotiations in December did not deliver the agreement so badly needed by the world.   

Rather, world leaders managed only to come up with what UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer described as a “letter of intent.”  The Copenhagen Accord is a non-binding declaration without clear commitments from any government.  It falls far short of a legally binding and ambitious roadmap for reducing emissions to protect the climate and people’s health.

While the Accord does commit (in a non-binding fashion) to US $30 billion for developing countries to address climate change during the period 2010-2012 and to US $100 billion per year by 2020, it does not stipulate how this money will be spent and still falls short of what is really needed.

Health Care Without Harm and Health and Environment Alliance, which led a delegation of public health and healthcare leaders in Copenhagen,  will continue to mobilise public health experts and healthcare professionals around the world as leading advocates for a fair, ambitious and binding treaty—while moving to reduce the health sector’s own climate footprint. (1)

Climate change is already responsible for hundreds of additional deaths each day around the world, and higher temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events are exacerbating some of the major causes of child mortality in developing countries, such as diarrhoeal disease. 

Studies have clearly shown how stronger targets on climate change could protect health. One European review has estimated that a 30% target on greenhouse gas emission reductions from 1990 levels by 2020 would result in health benefits of up to 76 billion Euros per year from 2020 onwards. (2)

More recently, the leading international medical journal, The Lancet has published a series of articles on the global co-benefits that can accrue as a direct result of many mitigation activities for greenhouse-gas emissions. It shows that changes in energy systems, methods of transport, and modifications in intensive food production practices and consumer choices can produce positive health consequences.(3)

The health sector is committed to a treaty that provides for public health, drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, promotes alternative, renewable energy and provides significant funding for developing countries to adapt and mitigate.

HEAL and HCWH are calling on world governments to turn the framework provided by the Copenhagen Accord into a binding agreement that delivers a fair, ambitious and binding commitment in 2010.

In collaboration with other health organisations, the two leading health groups are committed to strengthening their advocacy and efforts for climate change policies and actions that ensure the protection of public health and the environment.

References:

  1. Healthy hospitals, healthy planet, healthy people: Addressing climate change in healthcare settings, 2009, World Health Organization, Health Care Without Harm http://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/healthcare_settings/en/index.html
  2. The co-benefits to health of a strong EU climate change policy, 2008, CAN Europe, Health and Environment Alliance, WWF http://www.env-health.org/IMG/pdf/Co-benefits_to_health_report_-september_2008.pdf
  3. Lancet Series report  on Health and Climate Change, 25 November 2009 http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change

 

 The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) aims to raise awareness of how environmental protection improves health.   It brings together more than 60 organizations working at the European level.

Health Care Without Harm is a global network of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries working to transform the health care sector so it is no longer a source of harm to people and the environment.

 

16 Dec, 2009: Reports from the Health Delegation

  • Wednesday, December 16, 2009 

Today the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA) led a health delegation action in the Bella Center.    

A leading British doctor from the Climate Health Council, impersonating a polar bear from the Arctic gave a class to the delegates on the health impacts of climate change—particularly its impacts on developing countries.  The bear then presented the Prescription for a Healthy Planet to Dr. Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and the Environment for the World Health Organization (you had to be there).

The action reinforced the need for a fair, ambitious and binding deal. The students made it very clear that actions to reduce emissions will bring huge and immediate benefits to people’s health.    For more see http://www.climateandhealthcare.org/uploads/docs/Press%20Release_UNFCCC%20mtg_final.pdf

 

As Heads of State began addressing the plenary, two major environmental groups have been barred from entering, despite having the correct accreditation.  Protests outside resulted in the arrest of more than 250 activists.  Tension is mounting as the discussion is far away from an agreement.

Unfortunately it looks more and more unlikely that this deal will be achieved. It is hard to grasp that after years of negotiations governments seem to be unwilling to seal the deal.

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives rightly stated that Copenhagen is a matter of life or death. At the time of the landing on the moon there was political will to develop the technology and it was achieved within 7 years, so why are we not able to achieve the same now? he asked.  One can only hope that his insistent words will be heard and acted upon by other leaders.

 

  • Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The second week of climate negotiations in Copenhagen got off with a bang. 

While most of our health delegation were stranded outside the conference centre in the cold waiting for access on Monday, talks inside were ‘suspended’ because African countries walked out in protest. African countries accused Denmark of sidelining the negotiations. NGOs in the centre rallied in support of African countries and after discussion and mediation the talks resumed later in the evening.

The few of us, who managed to gain access to the centre exchanged information and strategy on needed action in Copenhagen and what the specific contribution of the health community can be.

When our health delegation finally managed to get in after 7 hours waiting we joined an informal WHO briefing to discuss the latest reflection of health in the negotiation text and immediate steps needed to be taken to strengthen health positions within. Participants highlighted the co-benefits of health on emission reduction measures. Switching from coal to cleaner energy production in India alone for example would have health co-benefits and would cover all mitigation cost. Therefore we continue to call an ambitious, fair and binding treaty that will protect health.

Dr Maria Neira from WHO highlighted the Prescription for a Healthy Planet  as a positive initiative to contribute to building a platform for climate collaboration in the health sector.  The prescription in endorsed by organisations and individuals in more than 120 countries.

On Tuesday our delegation held its first meeting informing participants of the state of the negotiations regarding the mentioning of health in the text.  The shared vision text mentions health as a key justification for action on climate change. The role of health in adaptation is recognised, but it remains to be seen if these nice words will stay in the text and more importantly, can be turned into action.

Some of our delegate members from the student medical community actively lobbied UNFCCC delegates in several countries to support the health reference, and were invited to meet on Wednesday with the French Secretary of State.

As progress seems very slow with many outstanding issues not agreed yet, one can only wonder what kind of deal we will get on Friday. We are running out of time for preventative action to protect the health of the planet.

 

Dec, 15, 2009: WHO's key messages at the COP15

"The bottom line of climate change is its risk to human life and quality of life. If health-enhancing mitigation choices are not prioritized, an important opportunity would be missed." (Margaret Chan, WHO Director- General) 

  • The ultimate impact of climate change represents a toll on the most precious resource: human lives and health.
  • Significant co-benefits for population health and well-being can result from mitigation policies in sectors such as energy, transport and agriculture.
  • The health sector will bear most of the burden of protecting and treating people harmed by climate change, and will need support to play its critical role in supporting adaptation and resilience.

 

You can follow-up the developments on the WHO/Europe website!

 

16 Dec, 2009: Tackling the Twin Threats of Climate Change and the Global Health Gap 

Student and professional health leaders from different organizations (HEAL, Medsin-UK, Climate and Health Council, HCWH, International Federation of Medical Students' Associations) offered a Prescription for a Healthy Planet - emphasizing the twinned opportunity decision-makers have to tackle climate change, and to narrow the global health gap between rich and poor.

Read the Press Release

 

Photo: International students associations and members of the WHO delegation at the COP15 conference in Copenhagen, Dec 2009

10 Dec, 2009: Health Delegation to Arrive in Copenhagen

The Health and Environment Alliance and Health Care Without Harm are leading a 20-person, international delegation of health leaders to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen. The delegation will meet and participate in a series of activities 14 - 17 of December and promote the Prescription for a Healthy Planet.   

Read the announcement and view the Delegation Program.

 

18 Nov, 2009: In the U.S. Health Care Without Harm has organized a health sector initiative to pressure President Obama to follow the four principles of the Prescription for a Healthy Planet.  

 

Global launch of the prescription for a healthy planet at the UNFCCC meeting, 4 Nov 2009 in Barcelona

Global launch of the prescription for a healthy planet at the UNFCCC meeting, 4 Nov 2009 in Barcelona.
Left to right: J. Karliner (HCWH), G. Jenson (HEAL), Dr. R. Bertollini (WHO) photo copyright: Robert van Waarden

European launch of the prescription for a healthy planet, 6 Oct 2009 in Brussels

European launch of the prescription for a healthy planet, 6 Oct 2009 in Brussels.
Left to right: - A. Leetz (HCWH), Dr. M. Gill, (CHC), G. Jensen (HEAL), A. Vassiliou (EU Health Commissioner), Dr. P. Liese (MEP), Dr. M. Wilks (CPME), Dr. I. Annesi-Maesano (ERS)

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