As COP30 takes place, Professor Ranee Thakar reflects on the RCOG’s progress in advancing sustainability within Obstetrics and Gynaecology and championing better health outcomes for women and girls worldwide.
Obstetricians and gynaecologists across the world are increasingly seeing the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls - from air pollution affecting pregnancy outcomes to extreme weather disrupting women and girls’ access to care.
Global temperature rises are linked to increasing food insecurity, water scarcity, infectious diseases and interrupting vital supply chains, making it harder for health professionals to deliver women’s healthcare. Tragically, just this month we have seen the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
It is clear urgent action is needed and that we must all play our part in tackling this critical global health issue. I am proud that throughout my presidency the College, as a leading voice in women’s health, has done so.
We have sought to deepen our understanding of the impact of climate change on women and girls and focused on the links between environmental injustice and health inequality. Earlier this year we published our position statement on climate change and women’s health, setting out clear recommendations for the UK Government.
We are supporting the O&G profession to act. Our free RCOG Learning course on climate and health explores the principles of sustainable clinical practice and ways health workers can influence environmental policy and action. And our annual World Congress has provided a fantastic platform to bring our global membership together to explore action on climate change, sustainability and women’s health over the last three years.
This September, we published our Green Maternity Report that redefines what sustainable, high-quality maternity care could look like in the context of the climate crisis. It showcases real-world examples of greener care that also improves outcomes for women, reduces health inequalities, and saves NHS resources – proving that environmental sustainability and high-quality care go hand in hand.
This COP30, we’re continuing to call on the UK Government to take meaningful steps to address the health impacts of environmental injustice and to protect women and girls:
- Deliver on Paris Agreement commitments and put health and equity at the heart of net zero
The UK Government must deliver on its commitments under the Paris Agreement and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This must include accelerating policies which support every sector to transition to net zero, prioritising health and equity in these policies, and by rapidly phasing out support for fossil fuels. Urgent efforts must also be made to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and end both direct investment in fossil fuel extraction as well as the provision of new licences for fossil fuel exploration, extraction and sale.
2. Utilise every opportunity to support women’s health and gender equality, especially in countries most vulnerable to climate change
The UK Government must reverse cuts to overseas aid, deliver strong international climate finance commitments, and advocate for stronger international action to protect women’s health and gender equality. Delegates at COP30 – including the UK Government – must consider how they can better support lower-income countries to properly adapt, decarbonise and meet the costs of irreversible damage caused by climate change. As part of this, adaptation strategies must be put in place to safeguard the health of women and girls across the world. These strategies must include plans to address extreme heat, threats from infectious and vector borne diseases, and how the health services and infrastructure that supports them can still function during climate shocks.
The RCOG will continue to work with Parliamentarians, policy makers, and partners to highlight how climate change impacts women’s health and what solutions can be implemented to safeguard the impact on the health of women and girls, now and in the future.
Climate change is happening, and we all have a responsibility to act. At COP30 and beyond, we must raise our voices to ensure that women’s health is not sidelined but centred in climate solutions.
- Read more about our ambition for sustainability and climate change here.