WMA Resolution on Climate Emergency

Adopted by the 70^th WMA General Assembly, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2019

Health professionals have an important role in advocating to protect the health of citizens around the world, and therefore have a responsibility to demand greater action on climate change.

The UN summit on climate action that took place in September 2019 further demonstrated the growing recognition that climate change action must be accelerated, with many countries making commitments to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and others committing to boost national action plans by 2020.

There is emerging consensus within the medical profession globally that action on climate change must be accelerated.

The WMA and its constituent members and the international health community:

• declare a climate emergency and call the international health community to join their mobilisation;
• commit to advocate to protect the health of citizens across the globe in relation to climate change;
• urge national government to rapidly work to deliver carbon neutrality by 2030, so as to minimise the life-threatening impacts of climate change on health;
• must acknowledge the environmental footprint of the global healthcare sector, and act to reduce waste and prevent pollution to ensure healthcare sustainability.