In the event of the first EU Climate Risk Assessment published in March, EFA was invited as panellist to present the civil society perspective on climate change resilience. The webinar was hosted by the European Commission Health Policy Platform and served to discuss EU adaptation and mitigation policies addressing climate impacts to health.
On 13 May, EFA took part in a key webinar ‘Climate Resilience – The Role of the Healthcare Sector’. The webinar, which was hosted by the EU Health Policy Platform, looked into the challenges of structuring our societies in a way that are resilient against climate change in the long term. EFA’s Senior Policy Advisor, Panagiotis Chaslaridis, stressed the impact of climate hazards, including heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and pollen, on human health, with allergy and respiratory patients affected.
All participants agreed that climate risks are accelerating everywhere, and that the EU needs to do much more to prepare itself for the upcoming climate-driven events that will affect not only health but also the ecosystem, the economy and critical infrastructures.
The discussions come in timely following the publication of the first EU Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) in March. The Risk Assessment identifies specific risks triggered or exacerbated by climate change in several areas, including health, food systems and ecosystems. Based on the assessment of the current state of play, it proposes specific priorities for EU action.
The document is the result of joint work of the Commission’s Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) and the European Environment Agency (EEA).
In his intervention, EFA’s Senior Policy Advisor, Panagiotis Chaslaridis, stressed the impact of climate hazards, including heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and pollen, on human health, with allergy and respiratory patients particularly affected. The climate crisis poses the need to ensure that comprehensive adaptation policies become an equal priority to mitigation measures. As health and climate issues are in high demand by citizens, a coordinated effort is urgently needed based on a renewed EU commitment looking to the next political mandate and well beyond. Further strengthening EU entities working on climate issues, such as the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Climate and Health Observatory (ECHO) would be key in this respect.
Keynote speakers included representatives from the European Commission (DG CLIMA) and the Belgian Presidency of the Council. The panel discussion that followed featured, beyond EFA, representatives from doctors (CPME), health insurers (MLOZ), and hospital and healthcare services owners (HOPE). The webinar was organised by the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM) and was moderated by Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL).
As a wrap-up, participants emphasised the need for climate and health to remain a critical priority in EU’s agenda. This should be underpinned by ambitious funding for policy actions on both mitigation and adaptation, with specific care to address existing inequalities. Finally, the EU should nurture close collaboration among all stakeholders and communities, including patients, doctors, hospitals, payers, overcoming the current silo approach.
You can access the full webinar agenda here and register using this link.