Session on „Sustainable Health for People and Planet”
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Ladies and gentlemen,
By definition, the World Health Summit mainly addresses health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, such crises are closely connected to the three planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These threaten our natural foundations of life and our health equally.
- Heat waves, storms and floods are becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis. These lead to deaths, injuries and the spread of pathogens. Drought endangers our food production and access to clean drinking water.
- The destruction of nature and loss of biodiversity weaken ecosystems as well as important barriers that protect against the occurrence of diseases, as the coronavirus pandemic made very clear.
- The World Health Organization estimates that more than two million premature deaths each year can be attributed to harmful chemicals in products, waste and the environment.
The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is now a human right. This was declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations this summer, which is great news.
This means that we must now finally implement our international obligations: the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda, for example, strives to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses caused by hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution by 2030.
Environmental crises affect all areas of policy, economy and society. This is why we must tackle them together. The health sector and the environment sector are natural allies in this context.
One example is an initiative of WHO, committed countries and a civil society consortium of hospitals. At the last Climate Change Conference, they called for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the health sector and improving its ability to adapt to climate change. Germany was one of the first signatories. We are now working on concrete solutions with our partners in the World Health Organization’s European region.
Environmental crises affect all of us, but some are more affected than others. Countries that are hardest hit by climate change, biodiversity loss or pollution need support.
That support can be financial. The Nature for Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund, which is supported by my ministry and leading environmental and health organisations, is one example. We are funding environmental projects in countries at especially high risk of zoonoses. The best way to prevent zoonotic diseases and possible new pandemics is to stop further encroachment on and damage to nature.
That support can be financial. The Nature for Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund, which is supported by my ministry and leading environmental and health organisations, is one example. We are funding environmental projects in countries at especially high risk of zoonoses. The best way to prevent zoonotic diseases and possible new pandemics is to stop further encroachment on and damage to nature.
The 5th session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management, to be held under German Presidency in Bonn from 25th to 29th September 2023, is an excellent opportunity for this. I would be very pleased to see as many of you as possible there and to achieve ambitious results with your support. We can give concrete form to the strategic alliance of the environment and health sectors.
Thank you for your attention.