BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE

Fossil-Free Health Communications

Fossil fuels are making people sick. As health professionals, we know the evidence: air pollution, heatwaves, water contamination, wildfires -these are not abstract risks. They are public health emergencies. Yet the fossil fuel industry continues to pollute and mislead, enabled by powerful PR and advertising firms.

It’s time for the health sector to take a stand.  #BreakFossilFuelInfluence

About the campaign

Health organisations have influence. We hire creative agencies to help us communicate with the public. That makes us customers with a choice – and with that choice comes power.

By choosing to work only with agencies that are fossil-free, we:

• Refuse to subsidise greenwashing and misinformation.

• Hold the communication industry accountable.

• Send a message that protecting health must come before protecting polluters.

Just like health leaders once stood up to Big Tobacco, it’s time to stand up to Big Oil.

What Does “Fossil-Free Health Communications” Mean?

Signing the Fossil-Free Health Communications commitment means your organisation is:

• Expressing a clear intent to avoid future partnerships with agencies that work with fossil fuel companies.
• Committing to ask new vendors about their fossil fuel ties in future procurement and RFP processes.
• Taking a step – however gradual – toward integrity and climate accountability in communications.

We understand this is a transition. Many health organizations have ongoing contracts that can’t be ended immediately. This commitment is not about immediate perfection – it’s about public direction.

Each organisation can define its own timeline. What matters is moving forward.

‘The Case for Decarbonizing Advertising’ event at the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly

As governments and businesses implement climate transition plans to align with net zero goals, fossil fuel companies continue to spend billions of dollars each year in advertising. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged countries to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies, and news media and tech companies to stop taking fossil fuel advertising. Watch the event recording here.

Commitment

The Commitment for Fossil-Free Health Communications

As organisations dedicated to protecting and promoting public health, we recognize the profound and growing threats that fossil fuels pose to human health and the environment. The fossil fuel industry’s contribution to climate change, air, water and soil pollution, and related public health crises makes it incompatible with our mission to safeguard the well-being of current and future generations. 

In order to align our communications practices with our commitment to public health and climate action, we intend not to employ PR and advertising agencies that represent fossil fuel companies As an intermediate step toward aligning our communications practices with our commitment to public health and climate action, we will initiate a review of the PR and advertising agencies we work with, assessing their policies and client portfolios for alignment with our values. During this period, we will prioritize collaboration with agencies that demonstrate transparency, commitment to truthful communication, and shared goals for a healthier, more sustainable world. Our ultimate aim is to work exclusively with agencies that do not represent fossil fuel companies.

We the undersigned medical and public health organizations, commit to the following:

1. Commitment to Fossil-Free PR and Advertising Agencies

We intend to work exclusively with PR and advertising agencies that do not have ongoing relationships with fossil fuel companies or related industries, including those connected to oil, gas, coal, and associated lobbying organizations

2. Rejection of Greenwashing and Disinformation

We aim to avoid collaborating with agencies that have engaged in or promoted campaigns that mislead the public about the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels. We seek to work with agencies that prioritize transparent, evidence-based communication on climate change and public health issues.

3. Transparency and Accountability

We will require any PR or advertising agency we employ to disclose their client portfolios and confirm their commitment to not representing fossil fuel interests. We will prioritize agencies that have made public statements or taken actions to distance themselves from the fossil fuel industry.

4. Alignment with Public Health and Climate Values

We will employ PR and advertising agencies that align with our public health mission and that are committed to promoting climate action and health equity in their campaigns. We will seek out suppliers who actively support the transition to a clean energy future and promote sustainable solutions to protect human health.

5. Advocating for Ethical Communications

We will use our platforms and influence to encourage other health organisations, agencies, and sectors to adopt similar fossil-free commitments. We will advocate for ethical communications practices that prioritize the health of people and the planet. 

We encourage all medical, public health, and allied organizations to join us in this commitment to reject fossil fuel influence in communications and to align with agencies that support a just, healthy, and sustainable future. By making this commitment, we take an essential step in dismantling the disinformation campaigns that fuel climate inaction and health harm, and we stand up for the integrity of public health communication.

Signatories:

1. Afghanistan Center for Epidemiological Studies
2. Afghanistan Medical Students Association
3. Africa Bioethics Network (ABN)
4. Africa Climate And Health Alliance (Acha-Africa)
5. Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases (AJIED)
6. AIHMS-GLOBAL
7. Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
8. Amref Health Africa
9. AMSB
10. ANEM Portugal
11. Banka BioLoo Limited
12. Berufsverband der Fachärzte für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie (BPM) e.V.
13. Billion Minds Institute
14. Botshabelo Unemployed Movement
15. British and Irish Association of Stroke Physicians
16. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
17. Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE)
18. Carolina Advocates for Climate, Health and Equity
19. CECOP
20. Clean Air Fund
21. Climate and Health Alliance
22. Consociazione Nazionale Associazioni Infermiere/I – CNAI Italian Nurses Association
23. Doctors for the Environment Australia
24. EarthMedic and EarthNurse Foundation for Planetary Health
25. Emonyo Yefwe International
26. EMSA-BahirDar
27. EuroHealthNet
28. European Lung Foundation
29. Extinction Rebellion, Bonn
30. Faculty of Public Health UK
31. Federacion de Asociaciones Medicus Mundi en España
32. First Do No Harm
33. Galician Health Service SERGAS
34. Global Coalition of TB Advocates (GCTA)
35. groundWork South Africa
36. Health Action International
37. Health and Environment Leadership Platform
38. Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation (HECAF360)
39. Health for Future
40. Health In Harmony
41. Health Systems Global
42. IFMSA Algeria
43. IFMSA Pakistan
44. IFMSA-Quebec
45. InciSioN
46. International Centre for Environmental Health and Development
47. International Federation of Medical Students Association
48. International Pediatric Association
49. International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF)
50. Irish Doctors for Environment
51. Jordan Health Aid Society International
52. Kaduna State University
53. Kampala International University
54. Khyber Medical University Journal (KMUJ), Peshawar
55. KlimaDocs e.V.
56. KLUG Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V.
57. Komeza youth hub
58. Laudato Si’ Movement South Africa Chapter
59. Lung Care Foundation/Doctors for Clean Air
60. Medact
61. Medical Alliance against Climate Change
62. Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health
63. Medical Students’ Associations of Kenya (MSAKE)
64. Medical Students’ Association of Pakistan
65. Medical Students for Climate Action Pakistan
66. Medicus Mundi – Spain
67. Médecins Sans Frontières
68. MMBSHS Trust
69. Motheo Advancing Health Forum
70. New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine
71. Nuffield Centre for International health and Development, School of Medicine, University of Leeds.
72. Nurses Across the Borders Humanitarian Initiative
73. Oncology Advocates United for Climate and Health
74. ONG “Plus de Sida dans les Familles”
75. People Power Health
76. Physicians for Social Responsibility
77. Physicians for Social Responsibility- Colorado
78. Physicians for Social Responsibility – Kansas City
79. Physicians for Social Responsibility – New York
80. Physicians for Social Responsibility- Oregon
81. Physicians for Social Responsibility, San Francisco Bay Area
82. Portuguese Society of Environmental Health
83. Psychologists/Psychotherapists for Future
84. Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA)
85. Public Health Protection Network – Iraq
86. Race & Health
87. REACH Trust
88. Regenerate Africa
89. Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
90. Royal College of Pathologists (UK)
91. RWANDA PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION
92. Ryculture Health and Social Innovation
93. SAF-TESO
94. SeeChange Initiative, Montreal Canada
95. Sierra Leone Association of Environmental Health Professionals
96. Sociedad Chilena de Medicina del Trabajo (SOCHMET)
97. Sukaar Welfare Organization
98. Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University
99. Swiss Doctors for the Environment
100. The Lancet
101. The New Environmental Justice Solutions
102. The Science and Environmental Health Network
103. Training and Research Support Centre
104. Tree Adoption Uganda
105. Tswelopele Climate Justice Foundation
106. UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
107. Vaada Hope Foundation
108. Venezuelan Federation of Medical Students’ Scientific Societies
109. VIKASH-SAMUKHYA
110. Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital
111. Vote Earth Now
112. WASUP – World Against Single Use Plastic
113. World Federation of Public Health Association
114. World Organisation of Family Doctors
115. Yale Center on Climate Change and Health
116. YOUNGO Health Working Group
117. Youth Association for Development (YAD)
118. ZIPSHAWA
119. Zwaluwstaart Zorgadvies