13th February 2026
This is a bumper edition with LOADS of updates, actions, opportunities, events, and resources, so we’ll keep the intro short and let you jump straight in.
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News
US government revokes endangerment finding
The Trump administration has formally withdrawn a longstanding legal determination, first issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009, that greenhouse gas emissions damage public health and welfare. This formal recognition that climate pollution is a public health threat meant that emission standards could be set and enforced – it anchored climate policy in law. The decision to overturn the regulation risks enormous damage to people’s health and livelihoods. Read more.
UK government assessment of global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security
Following a significant delay (it was due to be published in October 2025), the UK Government published its landmark report of biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security – and the message was stark: Global ecosystem degradation and collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity … and every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse. Further information that subsequently came to light but was not in the published report warned of increased forced migration, risks of eco-terrorism, and escalating tensions. Read more here and here.
Ecocide Bill moves forward in Scotland
Scotland is on track to become the first UK nation to criminalise severe environmental destruction following a vote by Members of the Scottish Parliament to advance the Ecocide Bill. The Bill now moves to the next stage of scrutiny before it can become law. Scotland’s move comes amid a growing international momentum for ecocide law and a recent new policy from the International Criminal Court that places environmental destruction and climate-related harm as a prosecutorial priority. Find out more.
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Have your say
Consultation on domestic burning of solid fuels
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has opened a consultation on reducing emissions from the domestic burning from domestic burning with the aim of tackling PM2.5 air pollution. The consultation sets out proposals to tighten smoke emission limits for new wood burning stoves, introduce mandatory labelling about health risks, and increase enforcement penalties for non-compliant fuels. The Healthy Air Coalition has created this simple guidance for responding to the consultation which closes on 19 March. Have your say
National Planning Policy Framework consultation
The UK government is currently seeking views on reforms to the planning system across a number. Areas covered in the consultation include effective land use, conserving the natural environment, sustainable transport, healthy communities, pollution and clean energy among others. The consultation closes on 10 March 2026. Have your say
Call for a national televised emergency briefing
On the back of the National Emergency Briefing on 27 November, calls are being made for a national televised emergency briefing to the public. A letter to the Prime Minister and the heads of BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C, and Ofcom says that all public service broadcasters are required to inform the public of major and international issues and that the UK has failed to meet this obligation. It calls for a televised national emergency briefing and public engagement campaign to ensure the risks are well understood. Sign the letter.
The big clinical trials sustainability survey
The Sustainable Healthcare Coalition and Low Carbon Clinical Trial Consortium are collecting insights to inform next steps to support the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices. People working in clinical trials or the clinical trial supply chain are encouraged to complete the survey to help assess the industry’s readiness to adopt sustainable practices in clinical trials. Your input will inform strategies to reduce environmental impact while maintaining quality, patient safety, and data integrity. Only takes about 5 minutes and closes on 31 March. Have your say.
NHS sustainability practices staff survey
Researchers from the University of East Anglia studying sustainability practices, technology use, and managerial decision-making in the healthcare sector are inviting NHS staff to take part in a study which examines how these practices are considered in decision-making across NHS England hospitals. The survey is intended for participants who hold a managerial, leadership, or decision-making role within their organisation. Share your views here.
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Opportunities/Get involved
Show the Love on 14 February
Tomorrow. 14 February, people across the UK will share green hearts to show what they love and want to protect – their homes, their health, their communities, and the places they’re proud of. It’s a simple act of care, a visible sign of hope, and a reminder to our leaders that people, climate and nature belong at the heart of decision-making. Get involved at #ShowTheLove2026 Find out more
Host a screening of the national emergency briefing film
Following the National Emergency Briefing in November, a full documentary is now in production, expected for release in March. It will bring the science, testimonies and national implications together in one compelling film which will be available for community screenings across the UK. The film is an opportunity to open up informed conversations about climate change and its impacts on society. UKHACC is encouraging health organisations to host screenings in their venues and/or at hospital grand rounds. Anyone interested can find out more here.
NHS Excellence Awards 2026
These new awards will recognise people and local teams driving changes envisioned in the 10 year health plan and inspire others to adopt and adapt proven ways of improving access, quality and patient improvement. There are a number of different categories of award, including one on sustainable healthcare. The deadline for entries is 6 March 2026. Submit your entry here.
Chief Sustainability Officer’s Clinical Fellows Scheme
The 2026 NHS England CSO Clinical Fellow Scheme is open for applications. Managed by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, the scheme identifies and supports clinicians who want to develop as clinical leaders and sustainability champions and provides an opportunity to develop leadership skills while also supporting the NHS to realise its net zero ambitions. Applications close on 22 February. Find out more here.
Join the Community Advisory Panel of the London Mental Health & Climate Coalition
Help shape a London where climate action and mental wellbeing go hand in hand. Thrive LDN are seeking people with lived experience of disadvantage who are interested in climate and mental health, and connected to underrepresented communities, to advise and challenge the National Lottery-funded coalition. Applications close at 5pm on 16 February. Find out more and apply here.
Apply to join the board of Medact
Medact is currently recruiting a Chair of the Board of Trustees, Treasurer, and trustees to oversee governance of the organisation to ensure it deliver the aims of the charity to organise the health community to work towards a world where everyone is able to live healthy, dignified lives supported by political and economic systems that centre health justice. Find out more and apply here.
Write a climate story
If you live in Scotland, you may wish to contribute a piece of creative writing about climate change as part of a University of Glasgow PhD research project exploring how people think and relate emotionally to climate change. One aim to is see whether more creative responses offer different kinds of insights to research methods such as surveys and questionnaires. Submissions can be up to 1,000 words of fiction or nonfiction. Some will be collated into an anthology (along with research findings) to help climate organisations better understand how people in Scotland think and feel about climate change. Find out more.
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Events and courses
Climate Medicine: A Clinical Training Program for Healthcare Educators
The European Network of Climate and Health Educators and the Global Consortium of Climate and Health Educators have joined forces to bring this new free course for healthcare educators. Launching on 3 March, the course provides 16 sessions covering both foundation and specialty-specific content. Register here.
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Thrive LDN’s Climate and Mental Health Forum
11.00-12.30 Wednesday 18 February 2026 | Online
Join this interactive forum bringing together London’s community leaders, voluntary and community sector organisations, health partners, academia, and local and regional government. This session will feature presentations from Climate Outreach, sharing London-specific insights from the Britain Talks Climate and Nature 2025 research, and the Inner Climate Response Alliance about their work to build the UK’s first community of practice focused on the mental and emotional impacts of the climate crisis. Email benjamin.rossington@nhs.net for an invitation.
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Exhibition: Air that I breathe
Running until 21 February at Canvas & Cream, Forest Hill, London
Dr Rosamund Addo-Kissi-Debrah has curated this exhibition of work that has been donated to her and her daughter Ella’s foundation over the last ten years as different artists have been moved by Ella’s death. Rosamund believes art is a medium that helps the public understand and promotes behaviour change, and can make the invisible, visible. Find out more.
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Scotland’s big climate and nature debate
18.00-19.00 Tuesday 24 February 2026 | In person and online
This pre-election Scottish hustings debate will see party representatives answer questions from an audience live from Edinburgh and broadcast across Scotland. Recent polling has shown that 7 out of 10 Scottish voters say that environmental and climate issues are important to them when deciding how to vote. If you’re in Scotland, this is a chance to put your questions to the political parties seeking your vote in May. Register here.
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Cradle to Grave – Confronting fossil fuels and advancing health justice in Africa
11.00-12.15 South Africa Standard Time Tuesday 24 February 2026 | Online
Co-hosted by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, GroundWork South Africa, EQUINET Africa, and the Training and Research Support Centre Africa, this webinar will explore how fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts intersect to undermine public health and highlight how health evidence is driving legal and policy change. Register here.
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Scotland’s Food Systems Conference
10.00-17.00 Thursday 26 February 2026 | In person (Edinburgh)
Scotland is starting its journey to become a Good Food Nation where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day. Delivery of the National Food Plan will require collaboration from production to consumption to deliver the vision for a just, sustainable and tasty food system. Register here.
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Breaking Boundaries: Planet, Mind and Action
9.30-17.00 Friday 27 February 2026 | In person
This Royal College of Psychiatrists conference will highlight the significant contribution of the fossil fuel, food and related industries to the climate and ecological emergency and the negative impacts they have on both public health and the environment. It will explore how to use influence and discuss actions to achieve change. The event is open to all psychiatrists, mental health professionals and people with lived experience. Register here.
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Medicines Waste in Care Homes – Reducing social and environmental impact
19.30-20.30 Wednesday 4 March 2026 | Online
Care homes dispose of £50 million worth of unused medicines every year and the impact of medicines waste goes far beyond financial loss. This webinar hosted by Greener Practice presents the outcomes of the ‘Medicines Waste in Care Homes’ project with practical resources to take action. Register here.
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Restorative spaces in practice: Global insights for therapeutic horticulture
14.00-17.00 Eastern Standard Time Saturday 7 March 2026 | Online
This mini-conference offers a practice-focused look at how therapeutic gardens are designed, used and experienced across real-world settings. It presents a behind-the-scenes tour of some of the UK’s leading therapeutic gardens with insights and stories from Thrive (Battersea and Reading), the Royal College of Physicians garden, the Chelsea Physic Garden, and others. Register here.
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IPC Route to Net Zero Conference
8.45-15.40 Friday 13 March 2026 | In person and online
The third annual Infection Prevention and Control sustainability conference invites participants to explore the crucial relationship between infection prevention and control and sustainable healthcare. The event will ask the vital question: Can we prevent infections while also reducing healthcare’s impact on the planet? Register here.
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From What is, to What if? – Re-imagining a sustainable healthcare system
Friday 24 – Saturday 25 April 2026 | In person (London)
Day 1 (10.00-18.00): Workshop facilitated by Rob Hopkins, author of ‘From What Is to What If’
Day 2 (9.30-16.00): Workshop co-facilitated by climate and health organisations exploring cooperation towards a sustainable health future.
£135-£175 attendance fee (some partially and fully subsidised places are available and support can also be offered for travel and accommodation). Limited to 35 participants. Register interest here.
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CleanMed Europe 2026
23-25 June 2026 | In person and online
Europe’s leading conference on sustainable healthcare will once again bring together professionals from healthcare, sustainability, industry and academia for three days of inspiration, collaboration and action and groundbreaking discussions on the future of sustainable healthcare. Register here before 20 March to take advantage of the 20% early bird discount.
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Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Courses
Designed for health professionals, educators, and sustainability or estates managers, CSH has a range of courses offering a mix of core concepts, case studies, and the sharing of interdisciplinary perspectives and experiences. Find out more.
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CPDMatch: Climate change education for the healthcare industry
CPDmatch is a not-for-profit website for healthcare professionals, employing organisations and supplier industries to find the educational resources required to deliver net zero sustainable healthcare and become confident in communicating and inspiring others to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. More information is available here
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New resources
BMA data hub for health inequalities
The BMA has published a new data hub for health inequalities in England. The hub brings together a wide range of datasets to provide a clear, comprehensive picture of the scale and impact of health inequalities alongside evidence-based recommendations for the UK Government and its arms-length bodies. The page will be updated every six months with the latest data. Webpages for the other countries of the UK will follow later in the year. Find out more.
RCPCH Greener Paediatrics hub
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has launched a Greener Paediatrics Hub that offers practical ways to make paediatric care more sustainable. It includes toolkits, resources and guidance for integrating environmentally responsible practices into clinical work. Find out more.
The visual life of climate change
Images can play a key role in communication – but climate change imagery can be formulaic and narrow in perspective. This new book opens up the visual discourse on climate and shows how images can be powerful tools to engage viewers and enable them to connect different issues together. The book includes engaging case studies and practical advice for using visuals to represent climate change in diverse, equitable, inclusive and responsible ways. Find out more.
Nature for health – a resource hub for healthcare sites
This hub, developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and funded by Natural England with support from NHS England, aims to improve the accessibility of existing nature-based resources. All resources are free and suitable for use across healthcare settings. As well as being inspired by the wide range of resources available, you can also upload your own resources to the hub. Find out more.
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Articles, podcasts and videos
We’ve pulled together a list of recent articles, podcasts and videos worth reading, watching, listening and sharing.
- This new Communicating Earth podcast is made by and for climate communicators sharing proven frameworks and real-world examples that inspire action.
- This Guardian article reports on a Carbon Tracker report that says flawed economic models used by governments and financial bodies ignore shocks from extreme weather and climate tipping points, posing risk of a global financial crash.
- This BBC radio 4 Inside Health presenter said he felt contaminated after inhaling traffic fumes to find out where air pollution goes in his body.
- This paper says the escalating risks of heatwave and flood events occurring in close succession or simultaneously amplify impacts on human health, infrastructure, ecosystems and livelihoods.
- This new research published in the European Medical Journal shows how climate change is fuelling the AMR crisis
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