The Role of Healthcare Professionals in Climate Action

We know that healthcare workers want to be part of sustainable practices in their workplaces.

According to a global survey of health professionals regarding climate change, the majority of participants recognised the need to continue professional education and increase their knowledge of sustainable healthcare.

1. People and Planet Health: Our health and the health of our planet are connected through simple things such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, and also more complex systems such as our exposure to infectious diseases and extreme weather events. If we want to keep people healthy, then we need to keep the planet healthy too.
2. Healthcare's Impact on the Planet: Our health is affected by the environment in which we live, and the way in which we deliver modern healthcare impacts our environment through emissions, pollution, and waste. To meet the health needs of the present without compromising the health of future generations, we must embrace sustainable healthcare – the highest quality care, with the lowest possible environmental impact.
3. Healthcare Heroes: If you ask the general public who they trust most to tell the truth, health professionals are repeatedly ranked first – showing that they are highly trusted sources of information around the world. This puts the healthcare sector in a powerful position to advocate for sustainable healthcare, which is underpinned by the principles of prevention, pathways, and practice.