CIEH signs the Prescription for a Healthy Planet

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The CIEH is endorsing a European-wide campaign to ensure health is at the centre of the climate change debate.

Prescription for a Healthy Planet, bringing health into the heart of EU climate change negotiations was launched in Brussels in October and included a presentation to European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) launched the campaign to raise awareness of climate change effects on health.

Androulla Vassiliou said:

"Climate change is a major issue for all EU policy areas, and it is clear that its impact on human, animal and plant health will be of massive importance to citizens in years to come.

"Each organisation and every citizen can also contribute substantially to reducing their own climate footprint. The Prescription for a Healthy Planet is one such initiative and I welcome the high level of concern from health and medical professionals for the future of our planet."

Health groups urged Ms Vassiliou to present the arguments to the EU delegation to Copenhagen and to other EU commissioners, including Stavros Dimas, the Environment Commissioner as the EU sets to finalise its negotiating position.

Executive Director of HEAL Génon Jensen said:

"The arguments about the health impact should be used right now to help achieve a 40 percent target on carbon reductions compared to 1990 emission levels by 2020 and to counterbalance the debate on how much climate will cost us.

"Higher targets on carbon emission reductions mean better air quality, less ill health, greater public health protection and healthcare savings."

The CIEH is a founder member of the HEAL alliance and was present at the launch when the prescription was handed over to the European Health Commissioner. The health community is asking the EU to provide a better "treatment" for the ailing climate negotiations.

HEAL and HCWH are joined by the UK Climate and Health Council whose pledge on climate change and health has already been signed by many thousands of doctors and health professionals.

The prescription campaign is driven by growing concern within the health and medical sector about the health impact of climate change, and how they can be more involved in crucial climate talks.

Also present at the launch and publicly endorsing the prescription were Jo Leinen MEP, chairman of the influential European Parliament Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee and Peter Liese MEP, chairman of the opposition group on the committee.

The European launch of the Prescription for a Healthy Planet sets the scene for the next stage in the campaign. The campaign is expected to draw support from dozens of major health and medical organisations and thousands of healthcare/public health individuals all over the world.

They will be invited to endorse and send the prescription to their own governments, highlighting policy responses to climate change that would protect the health of our communities.

The CIEH is also working with Friends of the Earth and others to enhance the health dimension in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit.