20 European health organisations, including the European Lung Foundation, have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU ministers, calling for people’s health to be placed at the heart of the EU climate resilience framework.
Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, increasing the health risks linked to climate change. However, Europe is not adequately prepared to prevent or respond to the growing health impacts and costs of climate change.
For people living with lung conditions and other long-term health issues, rising temperatures, worsening air pollution and more frequent extreme weather events can have serious health consequences.
On 21 October, the European Lung Foundation (ELF) joined 19 other European and national health organisations in signing a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU ministers responsible for environment, climate and health.
The initiative was coordinated by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), of which both ELF and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) are members. Signatories included organisations representing patients, healthcare professionals and public health experts from across Europe.
The letter was sent as the European Union develops its climate resilience framework, an important opportunity to strengthen protection against the health impacts of climate change.
The letter highlights the growing health impacts of climate change across Europe and warns that current efforts are not sufficient to protect people’s health. It urges ministers to place health at the centre of the European climate resilience framework, with particular attention to protecting those most vulnerable to climate-related risks.
Climate-related health impacts are shaped by decisions across many sectors, including housing, urban planning, energy, transport, agriculture and the environment. The signatories argue that treating these risks solely as a healthcare issue would overlook important opportunities for prevention and lead to less effective solutions.
Climate action is not only a necessity but also an investment in a healthier, fairer and more resilient society. The letter notes that every euro invested could generate 6 euros in wider social and economic benefits.
ELF Chair and patient representative, Phil Taverner, said:
“Climate change harms everybody, but the people most affected are often those with the fewest resources to adapt. For people living with lung conditions, the health impacts are already being felt through poorer air quality, extreme weather and rising temperatures. Europe has an opportunity to put health, fairness and prevention at the centre of its climate resilience plans, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a cleaner and healthier future.”
The letter calls for five key actions:
