Climate Change & Health: more National Policies to be addressed!

For a long time now, we have been witnessing climate change, environmental disasters, rising temperatures, rainfall and all those phenomena caused by global warming. The impacts of climate change have serious repercussions on the health of citizens and, in particular, on the most vulnerable groups.

Tackling climate change implies helping the most vulnerable and making progress on key global challenges, such as fighting poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. International organisations and civil society are pushing for concrete actions against climate change. As the EU has placed climate change at the top of its political agenda with the European Green Deal, Europe should become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

According to the study «Climate Change and Health: the national policy overview in Europe» conducted in EEA-38 counties by theEuropean Climate and Health Observatory, National Adaptation strategies and plans and National Health Strategies have been reviewed. National Adaptation Policies are key for driving protection of human health in the context of climate change. This report shows that just few countries have specific adaptation strategy for the health sector.

Collaboration and resilience are key words. It is necessary to increase all the efforts for climate adaptation and to create a sharing system for implementing successful actions to address climate change and its adverse effects on human health. It is essential to act through a more coordinated and collaborative approach that goes to act on national policies. In this context, nurses are key partners in spreading reliable information and best practices.

Interesting readings:

• UNDP’s project EU4Climate helps governments in the six EU Eastern Partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) to take action against climate change and towards a low-emissions and climate-resilient economy.
• The European Environment Agency published a briefing on the access to green spaces.
• The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), an independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies, published the “Health in the Global Environmental Agenda: a policy guide” a technical guide on sustainable development focused on the health–environment nexus.
• Nurses Climate Challenge aims to mobilise nurses across the continent to educate health professionals on the impacts of climate change on human health.
• EFN Position Statement on the Nurses’ Contribution to Tackle Climate Change.