Climate Change and Health
Action on climate change represents an opportunity to both reduce harms and risks of climate change and improve health outcomes across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, changing vector-borne disease patterns, and threatens to worsen food and water shortages.
Our work on climate change and health
Position statements
We have 3 position statements on climate change and health:
We regularly promote the recommendations in these position statements through public consultations, campaigns, and media.
Australian National Health and Climate Strategy
The RACP has welcomed the Australian Government’s release of the nation’s first ever National Health and Climate Strategy at COP28 in Dubai. The Strategy comes after more than a decade of policy and advocacy work by the RACP and others in the sector. We have had significant involvement in the development of the Strategy, including RACP President membership on the Chief Medical Officer Advisory Group, which informed the development of the Strategy.
The Strategy reflects many of our key recommendations, including the need for a focus on healthy climate resilient communities in addition to a focus on climate resilient and climate friendly healthcare systems. The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, also acknowledged the RACPs successful advocacy in securing the Strategy at the Greening the Health Care Sector conference in WA in September 2023.
The RACP’s Climate Change and Health Working Group led our submission (PDF) on the Strategy’s consultation paper in 2023, supported by RACP bodies and specialty societies across the RACP.
Australian National Health and Climate Strategy
The RACP has welcomed the Australian Government’s release of the nation’s first ever National Health and Climate Strategy at COP28 in Dubai. The Strategy comes after more than a decade of policy and advocacy work by the RACP and others in the sector. We have had significant involvement in the development of the Strategy, including RACP President membership on the Chief Medical Officer Advisory Group, which informed the development of the Strategy.
The Strategy reflects many of our key recommendations, including the need for a focus on healthy climate resilient communities in addition to a focus on climate resilient and climate friendly healthcare systems. The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, also acknowledged the RACPs successful advocacy in securing the Strategy at the Greening the Health Care Sector conference in WA in September 2023.
The RACP’s Climate Change and Health Working Group led our submission (PDF) on the Strategy’s consultation paper in 2023, supported by RACP bodies and specialty societies across the RACP.
Healthy Climate Future Campaign
The Healthy Climate Future Campaign brings together 13 medical colleges. Collectively, we advocate for climate action to build healthy and climate-resilient communities and environmentally sustainable healthcare systems. The campaign is also supported by 11 specialty societies. Together, we represent more than 100,000 doctors.
The Campaign was developed following the release of the RACP-commissioned research report Climate Change and Australia’s Healthcare Systems – A Review of Literature, Policy and Practice (PDF) in 2021. The report is clear that the risks of climate change to Australian healthcare systems require urgent action.
The Australian National Health and Climate Strategy is an important first step towards improving the climate resilience of healthcare systems in Australia and the promotion and protection of the health of the population.
As part of our advocacy on the Strategy, we released a joint statement with the 12 other medical colleges involved in the campaign. The statement calls for the Strategy to be fully funded, have National Cabinet sign-off, and be First Nations led. The joint statement received significant media and social media coverage, including The RACP President Dr Jacqueline Small appearing on ABC TV in a live interview.
Support our campaign petition for the fully funded and implemented strategy here:
Sign the petition
MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change
The RACP has regularly contributed to the development of the Lancet Countdown and MJA-Lancet Countdown policy briefs on Australia’s progress on health and climate change since 2017. The policy briefs provide actionable, evidence-based recommendations based on the MJA-Lancet Countdown and the global Lancet Countdown reports. We endorsed the 2022 MJA-Lancet Australian policy brief, available on Lancet Resources.
Submissions and Advocacy
Archive
2021
Opinion piece Climate action needed to prevent health crisis worsening by Professor John Wilson AM, RACP President
Media release “Our national health is on the line”: Physicians want a plan for climate and health from the PM at COP26 calling on the Prime Minister to acknowledge the health impacts of climate change.
Representation at the Climate Change Sustainability: Leadership and Action from Australian Doctors webinar and a joint letter to the Prime Minister (PDF)
Submission on the Victorian Health and Human Services Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026 (PDF)
“Our national health is on the line”: Physicians want a plan for climate and health from the PM at COP26
Media Release Climate change is the biggest threat to health system calling for the Government to come up with a plan to tackle climate change.
2020
Submission to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Independent Review (PDF) followed by a media release
Submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements (PDF) and a subsequent Submission to the Royal Commission’s Health Issues paper (PDF)
Endorsement of a joint letter calling for a #HealthyRecovery post-COVID-19 from AMA, RACGP, CICM, ACRRM, RANZCOG, RANZCP, AMSA and DEA, along with support for a joint media release
Endorsement and support of NSW RDN Natural Disaster and Emergency Primary Health Workforce Response
2019
Media release calling on NSW and Federal governments to act on climate change and joint media release with other health organisations declaring air pollution in NSW a public health emergency in response to extreme heat and bushfire smoke
Declaration of a climate health emergency media release
Endorsement of Expert Position Statement on health-based standards for Australian regulated thresholds of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone (PDF) in ambient air, followed by a submission and media release
Submission to the Climate Health WA Inquiry (PDF)
Fossil fuel divestment letters sent to HESTA and First State super
Australian Federal election campaign statement (PDF) and advocacy, including an election advocacy kit with a factsheet, social media kit and template letter for candidates
2017
Climate Change and Health breakfast lecture (MP3) event audio recording, hosted by the RACP and facilitated by Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine Fellow, Professor Lynne Madden
2015
International 'Doctors for Climate Action' campaign coordinated by the RACP including a Global Consensus Statement: Act Now to Reduce the Damaging Health Impacts of Climate Change (PDF) supported by 69 health organisations and 1,500 individuals
Contribute your expertise
If you're an RACP physician, paediatrician or trainee interested in Policy and Advocacy, we want to hear from you. Find out more about how you can represent your profession or contact us.