Your invite to royal college climate change and health webinar
Independent practitioners are invited to hear leading international health experts speaking at a free evening webinar on climate change and health by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).
The meeting this week on Thursday 26 May (6-7.30pm) will set out how health professionals in the UK and worldwide plan to build on the COP26 conference.
Keynote speaker Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Sir Gregor Smith said: ‘If the global health care sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet.
‘We cannot overestimate the power of human connection. Our ability to share ideas, spread good practice and innovate, all stem from it.’
Attendees will also hear from Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, head of climate change and health at the World Health Organization, who will discuss the role of WHO and member states.
The webinar will be chaired by Kirsty Duncan MP, chairwoman of the Standing Committee on Science and Research of the Government of Canada.
Prof Andrew Elder
RCPE president Prof Andrew Elder said: ‘In the months since COP26, ever more serious warnings have been issued about the pace and scale of climate change, its looming consequences and the – as yet – suboptimal response of the international community.
‘With climate change the greatest threat to health globally, it is vital that we deliver clinical care in a climate-sensitive and adaptive manner and that we take advantage of the power of international and local partnerships to bring about change.
‘Achieving this requires education, conversation and collaboration across our clinical communities. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh has a strong network of international fellows and is well placed to support physicians to share best practice across the world.’
More information about the free COP26 Legacy Series, including a programme and booking link, can be found here.
The RCPE established an Advisory Forum on the Environment which is examining what more it can do to reduce its carbon footprint, in addition to actions already taken including offering sustainable catering solutions.
It also contributed to and supported a recent statement on the climate emergency by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, of which it is an active member: see www.scottishacademy.org.uk/statement-climate-emergency
The RCPE response to COP26 can be read here: www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/statement-climate-change-and-sustainability-reaction-cop26-agreement