The EU’s proposed 2040 climate target to reduce domestic emissions by 90% - while allowing up to 3% to be met through international carbon credits – risks undermining health protections. The Health and Environment Alliance calls on member states to strengthen their climate commitments in order to protect health, rather than delay and weaken overdue action.
Today, the health groups Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Europe, Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and Mutualités Libres/Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen sent a letter to all members of the European Parliament.
Ahead of your vote on the revision of the EU’s clean air standards the undersigned organisations, representing the European health sector, including medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patients and health insurers, urged MEPs to step up on the Commission’s proposal, to reduce ill-health and health cost swiftly and significantly. The updating of the EU’s clean air standards is a unique and not-to-be-missed opportunity for preventing premature death and the health burden from chronic disease including respiratory disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, heart disease, strokes, and cancer.
To ensure that people across Europe breathe clean air, health groups urged MEPs to support the Lopez report as adopted in the ENVI committee in June 2023 when voting on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives (procedure file 2022/0347(COD)) in next week’s plenary session.
Read the full letter here
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