Tackling the politics of intersectoral action for the health of people and planet
Kent Buse, Göran Tomson, Shyama Kuruvilla, Jemilah Mahmood, Anastasia Alden, Maarinke van der Meulen, Ole Petter Ottersen, Andy Haines
Abstract
Kent Buse and colleagues argue that unlocking the potential for intersectoral action on climate and health requires thinking politically about its facilitators and barriers Human activities are wreaking extensive damage on the natural systems of the planet and undermining the prospects for the health of current and future populations. The 2021 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provided further evidence of the increasing urgency of responding to the threats posed by climate change—which the UN secretary general labelled “a code red for humanity.”12 The UN climate conference in Glasgow (COP26) laid bare the highly political nature of international cooperation on climate change, and the futility of failing to recognise that the health and sustainability of the environment are the cornerstone of equitable development.34 The politics inherent in intersectoral action on climate and health may be less visible than COP26 but must be addressed to deliver the goals of the Paris agreement (box 1).7 Box 1 ### Climate emergency imperative for intersectoral action56RETURN TO TEXT