The Voice of Healthcare

Human health is fundamentally dependent on a stable climate, functioning ecosystems and a healthy ocean. This talk frames the climate and environmental emergency as a health emergency, drawing on evidence from Earth’s history, the carbon cycle and accelerating planetary change. Rising temperatures, biodiversity loss, pollution and ocean degradation are already undermining physical and mental health, healthcare delivery, and health equity. As an essential and trusted sector, healthcare both contributes to these pressures and has a unique responsibility—and opportunity—to lead. Beyond carbon, the talk examines plastics, waste, supply chains and planetary boundaries, arguing that protecting planetary health is a prerequisite for protecting patients. Unlike past extinction events, we retain agency and the ability to use our trusted voices to inspire change.