The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

In December 2012, the steering group members of the Global Climate and Health Alliance drafted the ‘Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing’. The Alliance is now seeking to expand the number of signatories to the Declaration in advance of the UN Climate Talks in 2014-15 (COP20 and 21); to add your support, click on the image below. Numerous organisations have already added their support to the Declaration, and these are listed below.

‘Health must be central to climate action’

Health and medical organizations from around the world are calling for the protection and promotion of health to be made the one of the central priorities of global and national policy responses to climate change.

The protection of health and welfare is one of the central rationales for reducing emissions in Article One of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Article Four requires all countries to consider the health implications of climate adaptation and mitigation. Yet health is being overlooked in the development of responses to climate change, and its importance undervalued by policymakers, business and the media.

Human health and wellbeing is a basic human right, and contributes to economic and social development. It is fundamentally dependent on stable, functioning ecosystems and a healthy biosphere. These foundations for health are at risk from climate change and ecological degradation.

Health as a driver for mitigation and adaptation

The impact of climate change on health is one of the most significant measures of harm associated with our warming planet. Protecting health is therefore one of the most important motivations for climate action.

Climate change is affecting human health in multiple ways: both direct – through extreme weather events, food and water insecurity and infectious diseases – and indirect – through economic instability, migration and as a driver of conflict.

The risks to health from climate change are very large and will affect all populations, but particularly children, women and poorer people and those in developing nations. Urgent and sustained emissions reductions as well as effective adaptation are needed.

Climate action can deliver many benefits to health worldwide. Reducing fossil fuel consumption simultaneously improves air quality and improves public health. Shifting to cleaner, safer, low carbon energy systems will save millions of lives each year. Moving to more active lifestyles and expansion of and access to public transport systems can improve health through increased physical activity and reduced air pollution. Improving insulation in homes and buildings can protect people from extreme temperatures and reduce energy consumption. All of these changes will provide significant economic savings. Climate action that recognises these benefits can improve the health of individuals and communities, support resilient and sustainable development, and improve global equity.

What we seek from climate action

Recognising that health in all policies and strengthening health systems globally can advance human rights and help create safe, resilient, adaptable, and sustainable communities, we call for:

The health impacts of climate change to be taken into account domestically and globally
1. Health impacts and co-benefits to be fully evaluated, costed and reflected in all domestic, regional and global climate decisions on both mitigation and adaptation;
2. Health and environmental costs to be reflected in corporate and national accounts;
3. Assessment of loss and damage from climate change to include impacts on human health, wellbeing and community resilience, as well as impacts to health care infrastructure and systems;

Investment in climate mitigation and adaptation to be significantly increased on a rapid timescale
1. Priority given to decarbonisation of national and global energy supplies;
2. Cessation of fossil fuel subsidies globally and greater funding for renewable and clean technologies;
3. Funding for programs to support and protect health in vulnerable countries to be significantly increased;
4. Investment in adaptation and mitigation programs that can demonstrate health benefits to be substantially increased;

The health sector and the community to be engaged and informed on climate action
1. The health sector to be engaged and included in the processes of designing and leading climate mitigation and adaptation worldwide;
2. National and global education programs to increase public awareness of the health effects of climate change and promote the health co-benefits of low carbon pathways; and
3. More inclusive consultation processes in global climate negotiations to reflect the views of young people, women and indigenous people.

Our Future

Human health is profoundly threatened by our global failure to halt emissions growth and curb climate change. As representatives of health communities around the world, we argue that strategies to achieve rapid and sustained emissions reductions and protect health must be implemented in a time frame to avert further loss and damage.

We recognise that this will require exceptional courage and leadership from our political, business and civil society leaders, including the health sector; acceptance from the global community about the threats to health posed by our current path ; and a willingness to act to realise the many benefits of creating low carbon, healthy, sustainable and resilient societies.

‘You cannot tackle hunger, disease and poverty unless you can also provide people with a healthy ecosystem’

– Gro Harlem Brundtland

The evidence base and references
upon which this statement is based
are available here

Signatories to the Doha Declaration on Climate, Health & Wellbeing:

World Medical Association
International Council of Nurses
European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
Public Health Association of Australia
Royal College of Physicians (UK)
Royal College of General Practitioners (UK)
Climate and Health Alliance, Australia
Climate and Health Council, UK
Health Care Without Harm
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
C3 Collaborating for Health
Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
Royal College of Physicians
Healthy Planet UK
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)
NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU)
British Society of Gastroenterologists
Umeå Center for Global Health Research
Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA)
Doctors for the Environment, Australia
Medsin-UK
South African Medical Association
Norwegian Medical Association
Health and Climate Foundation
Australian Association of Social Workers
Chainama College of Health Sciences, Zambia
Asian Medical Students’ Association
Climate Emergency Institute
International Society of Doctors for the Environment
Réseau Environnement-Santé
Medical Students for Global Awareness
International Diabetes Federation
World Diabetes Foundation
OraTaiao: The NZ Climate & Health Council
The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
The Humanitarian Centre
World Diabetes Foundation
Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Doctors Reform Society of Australia
Italian Society of Doctors for the Environment
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
European Lung Foundation
European Respiratory Society
L’Associació d’Estudiants de Ciències de la Salut
Cambridge University Hospitals
Women’s Health
East Australia
Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Human Health
Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Hong Kong
School of Public Health at Curtin University
Kooweerup Health Service Center
World Cancer Research Fund
Australian Croatian Community Services
Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health & Insight
Collège Intermutualiste National
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Rwanda #YACA
Medical Association for the Prevention of War
Whittington Health
Architects Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility
International Primary Care Respiratory Group
European Central Council of Homeopaths
Canadian Nurses Association
International Women’s Health Coalition
Women’s Health In the North Projeto Hospitais Saudáveis
National Medical Association, Russia
Alderhey NHS Trust
Kent and Medway PCT Cluster
CNMSE
Women’s Health Loddon Mallee
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Liverpool Womens’ NHS Trust
Global Advocacy for Physical Activity
SAHA Institute
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics
New Community Quarterly
Ayurvedic Practitioners Association
Soil Association
Fundación Vivo Sano
The Royal College of Anaesthetists
Ayurvedic Practitioners Association
South African Academy of Family Physicians
Australian Health Promotion Association
European Central Council of Homeopaths
World Preservation Foundationn
Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association
New Zealand Medical Association
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Action for Humane Hospitals
San Francisco Western Region Health Centre
Women’s Health in the South East
ILAHITA Melbourne Community Association
WEMOS Foundation, Netherlands
Community Health Action Innovation & Networking

References

References and the evidence base for the Alliance’s Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

General resources

The Global Climate and Health Alliance’s recent report, ‘Climate Change: Health Impacts and Opportunities’ (2014): https://climateandhealthalliance.org/ipcc
The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2013-14 (AR5): http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/
The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 (AR4) http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar4/
WHO Resources on Climate Change and Health: http://www.who.int/topics/climate/en/
UN key documents on climate change: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/documents

Selected peer-reviewed papers

The Lancet Series on Climate Change and Health (http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change) and Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2961759-1/abstract)
Anthony J. McMichael, Insights from past millennia into climatic impacts on human health and survival, PNAS, 2012 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3324023/)
Rockstrom et al, A Safe Operating Space for Humanity, Nature, 2009 (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7263/full/461472a.html)
McMichael, A.: Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, The Lancet, 2007 (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2807%2961256-2/)
Anderson, K. and Bows, A.: Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world. Phil Trans Roy Soc A 2012
(http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1934/20.full)
Haines, A. and Dora, C. ‘How the low carbon economy can improve health’, BMJ 2012; 344 (http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1018)
The health impacts of climate change – BMJ (http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1026) James Hansen et al, Perception of climate change, PNAS 2012 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3443154/)
Myers, Maibach et al, A public health frame arouses hopeful emotions about climate change, Climatic Change, 2012 (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10584-012-0513-6)

Report and resource pages

HEAL and HCWH’s joint report, Acting NOW for better health: A 30% reduction target for EU climate policy
CAHA and The Climate Institute’s recent report, Our Uncashed Dividend: The Health Benefits of Climate Action
The World Bank’s Report: Turn Down The Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided
PwC’s Low Carbon Economy Index 2012
Carbon Tracker Initiative, Unburnable Carbon Report, 2012
DARA Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2012
Common Causes, Common Solutions: Chronic Disease, Climate Change, Nutrition and Agriculture
Lecture recordings from a conference held at the Royal College of Physicians http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/event/ArchiveEvent/0801Climate.aspx/
HEAL’s Policy Work: http://www.env-health.org/policies/climate-change/Health Care Without Harm: http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/doc_index.php#energy
Climate and Health Alliance/CAHA (Australia)’s resources page: http://caha.org.au/resources/research/
The UK Sustainable Development Unit site: http://sduhealth.org.uk/
The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s website: http://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/
HCWH’s Report ‘Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People‘
Taking the Temperature – Towards an NHS Response to Global Warming (2007)
Factsheets and reports from Harvard Medical School – http://chge.med.harvard.edu/programs/ccf/index.html

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The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing