Prime Minister must use COP27 to prioritise action on climate change

CIEH has urged the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to use his presence at the COP27 conference in Egypt as an opportunity to prioritise taking action designed to tackle climate change.

COP is an annual conference of the United Nations which brings together representatives from every country to discuss progress being made towards tackling climate change.

With the United Kingdom having hosted the highly anticipated COP26 in Glasgow last year, CIEH is now urging the Prime Minister to build on that momentum and make the case for urgent action to address the climate crisis.

Climate change is the single biggest policy issue facing policymakers today and has a particular impact on both public and environmental health. Whether in ensuring the security of our food supply chains, monitoring air pollution, or ensuring we have strong water quality standards, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) are at the front line of the climate crisis and have a vital part to play in communicating the impact climate change is having on environmental and public health.

Ross Matthewman, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said:

“The annual COP conference offers a rare opportunity to bring policymakers together from across the globe to discuss the vital issue of climate change.

In a recent survey of our members across the UK, we found that 77% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the current climate emergency is one of the most significant environmental health challenges of our time.

We welcome the various national measures that have already been taken by the UK Government to demonstrate the UK’s willingness to be a global leader in tackling climate change.

However, international cooperation is absolutely crucial if we are to have any hope of tackling climate change. CIEH is urging the Prime Minister to use the UK’s role as the most recent COP presidency to be a leading figure in the international fight against climate change.”