Free Members' Webinar: Clinicians for Climate Action

The impacts of the climate and ecological emergency and our health are intrinsically linked, and in ways which we are learning more about each year. But, as the COP26 international climate conference approaches later this year (and despite the intense pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic) it’s essential that governments, organisations and individuals now act on this increasing evidence by reducing emissions, including in the health sector, to mitigate the worst effects of the crisis.

In doing so, we have an opportunity to improve health significantly, for ourselves as well as the environment; our relationship with nature is known to be an important factor in determining our mental health. Positive action is already being taken, and last year NHS England became the first health service to publish a plan for becoming carbon neutral (which it aims to achieve by 2040). This will mean big changes in the way that care is delivered in the country.

In this free webinar, Richard Smith, chair of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (of which RCPsych is a member), will introduce Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of the BMJ, Dr Nick Watts, Chief Sustainability Officer of NHS England, and Dr Lisa Page, Chair of the RCPsych Sustainability Committee, to discuss why climate change is a mental health issue, the NHS’s plans for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and the role that Psychiatry can play in improving the health of people and the planet.

Questions can either be submitted using the Q&A function during the webinar, or you can email them in advance to kesia.wills@rcpsych.ac.uk.

You can find out more about past and upcoming webinars and catch up on demand with any you have missed on our website.