According to the World Health Organization, climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity[1]. The evidence is clear: more and more, the accelerating effects of climate change are affecting people’s health and wellbeing.
In such a context, I’m encouraged by this latest Economist Impact report, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson - Do no harm: Healthcare professionals address sustainability and climate change.[2] The report explores the intersection of climate change and healthcare systems in Europe (France, Germany and the UK), and looks at how healthcare professionals (HCPs) are responding to climate crisis and improving their systems’ sustainability.
The findings show that while HCPs want to educate patients about climate change, they first need more education themselves – 74% of HCPs feel they have not been supported in gaining carbon and green literacy skills.[2] Also, 78% of HCPs believe clinical pathways need to be reassessed with sustainability in mind.[2] It’s clear that making healthcare systems more sustainable and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is now key, when it comes to reaching national net-zero goals and safeguarding the wellbeing of populations.[2]
At Johnson & Johnson, we know that human health and environmental health are fundamentally linked – healthy people need a healthy planet. And we’re convinced that we can have both. We’re relentlessly driving progress in reducing our emissions to protect environmental health. The climate emergency is a global health challenge of the greatest scale and it’s clear that we all must do more to make our sector more sustainable.
To read the report, click here. To learn more about Johnson & Johnson’s global sustainability goals visit our site here.
References
[1]https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health [Last accessed April 2022]
[2] Economist Impact Do no harm: healthcare professions address sustainability and climate change, September 2022
