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Doctors for the Environment Australia

Doctors for the Environment Australia

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) is a national medical organisation working at the intersection of clinical medicine, public health, environmental science, and systems transformation. DEA brings together clinicians, researchers, and medical students with expertise across emergency medicine, environmental health, epidemiology, climate science, toxics, mental health and primary care — grounded in a planetary health framing that recognises that human health, ecological integrity, and climate stability are inseparable.

DEA provides technical, evidence-based analysis on the health harms of fossil fuels, biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change; and supports the health sector to accelerate decarbonisation while strengthening resilience, equity and community-led adaptation. Its work spans policy development, parliamentary submissions, national campaigns, and targeted capability building across governments, health services and professional colleges.

This capability directly supports delivery of the COP26 Health Programme Commitments under WHO ATACH. As the HPA representative on the ATACH Steering Group, DEA advances planetary-health aligned low-carbon system transformation, nature-positive health resilience, and governance approaches that position health as a core driver for fossil fuel phase-out and regenerative, climate-safe development.

Supporting the following commitments:

  • Commitment 1: Conduct climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&As) at population level and/or health care facility level.
  • Commitment 2: Develop a health national adaptation plan (HNAP) informed by the health V&A, which forms part of the National Adaptation Plan.
  • Commitment 3: Use the V&A and HNAP to facilitate access to climate change funding for health.
  • Commitment 5: Deliver a baseline assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of the health system (including supply chains).
  • Commitment 6: Develop an action plan or roadmap by a set date to develop a sustainable low carbon health system (including supply chains).

Country experience:

Australia: Commitments 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Fiji: Commitment 2