Physician campaign to highlight climate change threat

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The Royal College of Physicians has launched a campaign that highlights the threat to human health from climate change.

Its position paper, RCP view on healthcare sustainability and climate change, urges the UK government to prioritise a just transition from fossil fuels, with support for people to reduce energy use.

It also calls on the government to redirect all fossil fuel investments and subsidies towards renewable energy sources and technologies, provide a robust and credible net zero strategy to meet its legal net zero commitments, and build on its COP26 presidency to drive ambitious international action.

Launching the paper at its Medicine 2023 annual conference yesterday, RCP president Dr Sarah Clarke said: “Climate change represents the most significant challenge facing society, not just in the UK but globally.

“Meeting this challenge will require us all, from individuals to organisations like the RCP, to make changes to how we live and behave but determined action, particularly by governments, industry and public services such as the NHS, can make a meaningful difference.