This campaign and advocacy document is a resource for health care professionals who want to harness their expertise and credibility as trusted voices to drive local, national, and global climate policy changes.

“Reclaiming health activism in the age of climate crisis” is a compelling campaign guide that draws inspiration from the rich history of health activism in effecting social change. This document aims to rally health professionals worldwide to take on a new challenge: Advocating for climate action.

The health care sector contributes roughly 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with G20 countries accounting for over 75 percent. Urgent decarbonization is critical, and while the trajectory and approach may differ among G20 nations, all countries must work towards achieving net-zero health care emissions by 2050. 

What is Just Transition? The lack of a universal consensus around the definition has led to multiple interpretations shaped by the interests of different stakeholders. While labor movements prioritize workers' rights and job security, environmental justice groups advocate for impacted communities. Multilateral institutions, investors, and transnational corporations view it through an economic lens. 

On June 13-15, Gavi's Global Vaccine Impact Conference convened leaders from over 20 countries in Madrid under the theme “Raising Generation Immunity”, to assess progress in routine immunization and life-saving vaccinations. Hosted by the Government of Spain, this event gathered world leaders and immunization experts to address challenges and explore opportunities. Health Care Without Harm’s International Climate and Health Campaigner, Shweta Narayan was one of the keynote speakers.

How can the health care sector reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the environmental impact of its operations? Which are the best practices and solutions available for the sector? What are some common challenges the sector faces, and how are they addressed in different parts of the world?

A recent commentary co-authored by Health Care Without Harm and published in The Lancet shows how the health care sector has been stepping up to the global climate challenge.

Health Care Without Harm, the official health care sector partner of Race to Zero is thrilled to announce that over 70 health care institutions, that are members of the GGHH Network and represent more than 14,000 hospitals and health care facilities from 25 countries, have joined the campaign. 

Health Care Without Harm is presenting its position paper on Just Transition, which includes the principles and positions that guide the conversation on this topic.

Live stream links and more information added daily. All event times are shown in local time (Egypt, EET). To calculate the time in your local time zone, visit this page.

The COP27’s side event showcased some of the challenges and opportunities in financing the commitments to build climate-resilient and low-carbon health and included some updates on the progress of the initiative.

The session will showcase how the health care sector can accelerate concrete actions that reduce emissions while supporting a just transition to a healthier, more equitable, and resilient future.

For Immediate Release: November 9, 2022

Contact:

• Governments and the private sector are implementing commitments made at COP26 and by the G7 covering more than 47% of all health sector climate emissions via the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) and the Race to Zero.