HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK NEWSLETTER APRIL 2009
Please send on to colleagues
www.healthandsustainability.net
1. KEY MESSAGES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN COPENHAGEN, March 2009
The Congress was attended by more than 2,500 delegates from nearly 80 countries. The six key messages together constitute an unprecedented plea from the scientific community to political leaders. In summary:
1. Climatic trends: The worst case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being realised. There is a significant risk that many of the trends will accelerate.
2. Social disruption: The research community is providing much more information on “dangerous climate change”. Temperature rises above 2 degrees centigrade will be very difficult for contemporary societies to cope with.
3. Long-term strategy: Rapid, sustained and effective mitigation based on coordinated global and regional action is required to avoid “dangerous climate change”.
4. Equity dimensions: The poor and most vulnerable need to be protected, as climate change is having strongly differential impacts on people within and between countries and regions.
5. Inaction is inexcusable: We already have many tools and approaches – economic, technological, behavioural, management – which must be vigorously and widely implemented to achieve the societal transformation required to decarbonise economies.
6. Meeting the challenge: We must enable the shift from ineffective governance and weak institutions to innovative leadership in government, the private sector and civil society.
2. PLEASE ASK EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO SIGN THE CLIMATE AND HEALTH COUNCIL PLEDGE
www.climateandhealth.org/pledge
Here is a message from our colleagues Robin Stott and Mike Gill, co-chairs of the Climate and Health Council:
In the run up to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December this year, we have embarked on a major campaign (just click on 'sign our pledge' on the website to see the text and background), to do what we can to get governments to sign a meaningful deal at Copenhagen. In May we intend to launch a 'public' phase where the public are invited to ask their doctor or any other health professional they come across whether they've yet signed up.
Numbers of signatories both from UK and elsewhere are growing impressively, but we need to keep up the pressure. We need as many signatures as possible before the House of Commons launch on 12 May.
3. APPLYING INTEGRATED APPRAISAL TO NHS BUSINESS
Network member Alyson Learmonth, Gateshead Director of Public Health at South of Tyne and Wear NHS, has drawn to our attention an example of applying integrated appraisal to NHS business, specifically a PCT annual operating plan. Shruti Jain and the SustaiNE Board for the North East supported the activity with the 3 Primary Care Trusts in South of Tyne and Wear, working with the 3 Local Strategic Partnerships. They would be very willing to share their experience with others.
The appraisal matrix and methodology was prepared using the ten objectives of the Integrated Regional Framework (IRF) 2008, the regional sustainable development framework as the basis. The IRF and its appraisal tool have been highly effective in helping to introduce the fundamental elements of sustainability into the drafting and creation of plans in the North East. The appraisal was undertaken during a half-day workshop and with a number of agencies. It was strongly recommended that the adoption of sustainability as a core principle should be regularly monitored.
Enquiries should be sent to enquire@sustaine.com.
4. BUSINESS CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN NHS ACUTE TRUSTS
A MPA student at LSE is researching the ‘business case’ for sustainability at NHS Acute Trusts. He is seeking contributions from any practitioners or academics that have views or knowledge of the operational barriers and ambiguities that exist when undertaking sustainability programmes at the Acute Trust level in the NHS. His primary research question is ‘why are the health benefits of sustainability not recognized by the health providers?’ If you are willing to share your views, provide references, or recommend a colleague to speak with please email Dane Pflueger on d.p.pflueger@lse.ac.uk.
You may be interested in the following extracts from the preliminary findings of Dane’s research:
“The common view in the private sector from executive management and investors is that attention to sustainability goes hand in hand with business success. Numerous studies show that the most sophisticated companies, well in touch with consumer demand, HR best practices, and operational efficiency, embrace sustainability successfully as a value driver…
“Public sector managers may be impressed by this news but feel that it has no bearing on the complex realities of public sector delivery. In the NHS, for example, where the Operating Framework hardly registers sustainability, where Monitor performance ratings ignore it, and where few clients choose their provider for it, a dedicated public manager may reasonably perceive sustainability to be a distraction from delivering public value.
“My recent research suggests the contrary; sustainable public organisations are the best performing ones and the best performing organisations are the most sustainable ones (emphasis added).”
Dane built an index for sustainability and business excellence for 140 Acute Trusts, controlling for various factors, and found a positive and highly significant correlation between sustainability and business excellence.
5. JOINT MINISTERIAL TASKFORCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE – LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH A HEALTH REMIT
NCVO and Green Alliance are providing the Secretariat to a Joint Ministerial Task Force on Climate Change, the Environment and Sustainable Development. The aim of the Task Force is to create a vision and action plan for the third sector on climate change, the environment and sustainable development. Membership of the Task Force will be drawn from representatives of voluntary and community organisations, and the wider third sector – we are now seeking applications (deadline 14th April). We’ve not yet had any applications from organisations with a health remit – e.g. working on socio-economic determinants in particular. We are looking for someone who has an interest in these issues and who has good networks in the sector. Please could you pass on details to any of your members who fit the bill?
Further details about the Task Force, and how to apply, are available on our website at: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy/index.asp?id=13206. The deadline for applications is 14th April (sorry for short notice) and the first meeting of the Task Force will be held on 20 May.
6. RESOURCES
Sustrans’ Active Travel Directions Guidance
In a previous newsletter, we highlighted some selected green events material. Additionally, we would point you toward Sustrans’ Active Travel Directions guidance, which can be found at
CABE Sustainable Cities
CABE have launched a major new web resource, the result of two years of detailed research. Sustainable cities offers clear priorities for action for the people who plan, design and manage towns and cities. See http://www.sustainablecities.org.uk/
The Health Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Change
Jenny is lead editor, with Mala Rao, Fiona Adshead and Allison Thorpe, of a book The Health Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Change which will be published by Earthscan in September.
The book covers the health impacts and health co-benefits of action on climate change, and a series of action chapters from every perspective, individual, organisational and community. Authors, several of whom are members of this network, include David Pencheon Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, colleagues from the Met Office, Sustrans, Natural England, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, National Social Marketing Centre, the Climate and Health Council etc. The foreword is by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, chair of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, and the introduction is by Professor Sir Andy Haines, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The book is designed for a global English-speaking readership.
More information can be found at http://www.earthscan.co.uk/Portals/0/pdfs/Health_Practitioners_Guide_to_Climate_Change.pdf
Please note the pre-publication discount code AF20 – this will confer a 20% discount on the book and all Earthscan books to anyone using it on Earthscan’s website.
Best wishes Alison and Jenny