The International Panel on Climate Change says that, to keep the post-industrial global temperature rise below the tipping point of 1.5°C, the world must halve its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. [...]our editorial also calls on us all to act as individuals in our different spheres of influence (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2425)4: as family members, citizens, and respected members of our communities;as diagnosticians, prescribers, and managers of healthcare resources(doi:10.1136/bmj.n2407)5;as educators, trainers, and curriculum leaders (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2385)6;as designers of healthcare systems (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2408)7;as public health professionals with an understanding of the wider determinants of health;and as members of any organisation, since membership allows, indeed requires, us to hold those in authority to account. Healthcare can bring down its carbon footprint, and in the UK is doing so (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2337).9 Structural changes to our physical and economic environments have the potential to drive behaviour change and substantially cut emissions (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2293).10 And the right economic decisions could lead us into a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient global future (doi:10.1136/bmj.n2405).11 Collectively and individually we must lead by example: driving system change in healthcare to reduce emissions and waste, advocating for national and international political action, and educating our patients and the public (https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/10/07/talking-to-patients-about-the-climate-emergency)12 to help safeguard the future of our planet and its people.
A world on the edge of climate disaster