Climate change and health scorecard: What are UK professional and regulatory health organizations doing to tackle the climate and ecological emergency?

Introduction Climate change is a health emergency. Health organizations have a responsibility to engage with this crisis via advocacy, education, research, divestment and by rapidly reducing their carbon emissions. This report aims to establish what progress has been made by UK health organizations and identify areas requiring further action. Methodology A cross-sectional survey examined four domains: internal operations; education and training; divestment; and advocacy. Scores were presented according to rank in scorecard format. Results 28 UK health organizations were asked to participate, with a 39% response rate. Total scores ranged from 13 to 41.75 out of 64 points. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health achieved the highest score (41.75) followed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (39.5) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (38.5). Discussion Health organizations are well-placed to: educate their members on the health impacts of climate change; advocate for legal and political change; lead by example by enacting their own decarbonization plans and minimizing their carbon emissions; and by divesting financially from fossil fuels. Organizations showed varying levels of action, with many not participating or scoring poorly. However, there was evidence of some excellent work and growing levels of engagement. Conclusion This report identifies positive climate action alongside opportunities for growth among UK health organizations. Although considerable advances are being made, these are not to the scale or speed required to secure a liveable future for all. We hope that this work will support organizations in taking further action.