17th October 2024
Dear Mary Creagh,
I write to you as the Chair of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, an alliance of UK health organisations including Royal Colleges, journals, associations and societies representing more than one million health professionals, a significant proportion of the NHS workforce.
As health professionals, we are deeply concerned about the impact of biodiversity loss and destruction of the natural environment on human health. Lack of access to green spaces and natural, biodiverse environments limits protection from heat, air pollution and is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Our current food system drives biodiversity loss, contributes to climate change, lacks nutritional diversity, and generates excessive waste. Pollution and ocean heating threaten livelihoods, the spread of toxins in waterways and reduces capacity to develop new medicines.
We are encouraged by the government placing nature recovery as one of the five priorities for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, it is disappointing that the UK has failed to submit its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) ahead of COP16 and is falling behind on pledges to protect 30% of its land and sea by 2030 and deliver £3bn in climate finance for nature by 2026.
At COP16, the UK must turn promises into action by setting out a timeframe for delivering the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and re-emphasising its commitment to deliver £3bn in climate finance for nature by 2026.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has said that the climate and nature crisis is the issue that “defines our times” and that “action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to all that the Foreign Office does.” As one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, the government must turn words into action with a credible plan for protecting and restoring nature at home, that recognises the links between nature and health.
The concern among health professionals is so great, that it has led to 300 health journals around the world publishing an editorial calling for the climate and nature crisis to be recognised as a global public health emergency. I encourage you to read our policy report on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Health that shows the links between the climate and ecological crises and how they impact human health. The implications are potentially devastating if immediate and meaningful action is not taken.
King regards
Richard Smith CBE FMedSci
Chair UK Health Alliance on Climate Change