The IPCC, United Nations, and WHO have recognized Climate Change as the defining health crisis of our time. If we do not address this challenge successfully, then all other efforts to promote health will be for nought.

Our systems for delivering healthcare, from facilities to workforce to supply chain are vulnerable to impacts of the changing climate, especially severe weather events, surges in care requirements, and population displacement.

The operations of the healthcare system generate significant amounts of greenhouse gasses, thus accelerating the problem and harming human health and geopolitical stability.

We, the members of the healthcare community, are among the most trusted of voices in society.

Therefore, we call upon the WHO and all constituent Ministries of Health to prioritize the following:

1. Hardening of their Healthcare systems to anticipate and adapt to the risk from the changing climate, so as to provide needed services to all people.

2. Elimination of all on-site combustion of fossil fuels in any healthcare institution, and substitution of renewable energy sources coupled with energy storage; elimination of low-value care with its unnecessary consumption of materials and energy; environmentally preferable management of healthcare waste.

And

3. Advocacy that leverages our trusted voices, to accelerate similar needed change in other sectors.

We, the people who plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the world’s healthcare facilities, pledge our resources to support this most critical effort.