Health and Environment Alliance | Op-eds

Tribune collectif: La réglementation européenne sur les substances chimiques doit être révisée d’urgence

18th April 2023

Alors qu’une consultation publique visant à restreindre l’usage des « polluants éternels » a été lancée le 22 mars, des mutuelles et des organisations spécialisées en santé environnementale rappellent, dans une tribune au « Le Monde », l’urgence d’une actualisation ambitieuse du règlement européen sur les substances chimiques.

Europe’s raw materials rush does not justify keeping workers in the dark about lithium’s dangers

29th March 2023

The increasing reliance on lithium compounds in critical sectors should be reason enough for European authorities to support a thorough investigation of their properties. They also demand a speedy agreement on how to communicate about them to workers and end-users. But instead, a scientifically-backed proposal to classify three lithium salts for their toxicity to reproduction under Europe’s harmonised hazard identification system is at a dead end.

There is no “safe level” of air pollution

18th October 2021

Health groups call on the leaders of the Western Balkan countries to harmonize national air quality standards with the World Health Organization Global air quality guidelines. Health experts should be actively involved in these decision-making processes to ensure the timely integration of public health measures into environmental policies. Compliance with WHO recommendations brings multiple benefits – reduced incidence of chronic diseases and premature deaths, reduced overall health costs and, most importantly, better health and higher productivity of people.

A tale of disruption: looking back at one decade of Europe’s (unkept) promises to address endocrine disrupting pesticides

29th July 2021

By using the example of the ongoing assessments of five substances that have long been suspected to disrupt our thyroid function, HEAL's Natacha Cingotti and Angeliki Lyssimachou illustrate the extremely slow pace of and the related weakness in the implementation of Europe’s promises to protect people, animals and wildlife from effects associated to exposure to endocrine disruptors.

Announcement of Belchatow coal plant closure is turning point for health

10th June 2021

Therefore, the Belchatow closure announcement is a milestone for better health protection for the people in Poland and beyond, and shows that there is a growing recognition that coal cannot have a place in a healthy energy future for Poland, or elsewhere. At the same time, there’s no reason for leaning back, as we have not reached our goal of a coal phase out in the EU by 2030 yet - a date that is scientifically proven to be needed to slow down the climate crisis.

Beat pollution today to prevent disease tomorrow – for everyone

4th June 2021

By Genon K. Jensen, HEAL’s Executive Director Adapted from speech given at high level event on 'A healthy environment for healthy lives', EU Green Week 2021 Almost 20 years ago,…

Greater health engagement and commitment needed to clean up the air in Serbia

14th May 2021

The launch of the first ever national Air protection Program in the Republic of Serbia with an Action Plan is a unique opportunity to bring down high rates of disease,…

Without prioritising walking and cycling, EU mobility strategy is a lost opportunity

11th December 2020

Turning the plastic tide: how upgraded chemicals regulations are piece and parcel of addressing the plastics challenge

21st October 2020

Taking on the plastics challenge in a way that puts health and the environment first to deliver on Europe’s Zero Pollution ambition requires upgrading European regulations on chemicals and articles in which they are used, encompassing the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Ditch fossil fuelled transport to guarantee healthy air, study confirms

21st October 2020

What kind of city do we want to live in? Normally we don’t think much about that in our daily lives, but with the COVID pandemic we’ve also had to re-think the ways we move about in our cities.

Medical advice to EU leaders: prevention comes before cure

28th September 2020

The EU’s recovery package is the not-to-be-missed opportunity to lead us to a healthier future and should not extend a lifeline to the pollution that is making us sick, writes HEAL President Peter van den Hazel in EURACTIV.

Worrying rows over future EU chemicals policy

7th August 2020

Recent revelations on major disagreements within the European Commission about the development of the European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability suggest that representatives of the Department General for Internal Market (DG GROW) seek to fundamentally tone down the proposals, under the pretence of economic interests and overruling preventive actions on chemicals and public health, writes Natacha Cingotti in EUObserver.

Time to action European promises on endocrine disruptors

12th March 2020

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has committed to address endocrine disruptors as part of “a cross-cutting strategy to protect citizens’ health from environmental degradation and pollution” to reach “a zero-pollution ambition”. If Europe is serious about delivering on its promises and regulating based on science, then the current evaluation of the EDC framework is a real opportunity for health, environment and our economy, writes Natacha Cingotti in the ECHA Guest Corner.

Stepping up Dutch climate action for a healthy future for our children

19th December 2019

The Dutch government has been appealing the Urgenda verdict for 4 years - it should recognise that accepting and executing it will be a blessing, writes HEAL President Peter van den Hazel.

Climate action for our health and planetary health

2nd December 2019

Our message on climate action as the biggest opportunity to benefit health today, tomorrow and for future generations is powerful, and should be heard everywhere, writes HEAL's Founder and Executive Director Genon K. Jensen.

There is only one way to protect children from the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos: an EU-wide ban

8th October 2019

The widely used pesticide chlorpyrifos can seriously harm children’s healthy brain development. It will be for the next European Commission and European governments to deliver the one obvious solution: a complete ban of chlorpyrifos, to protect health and the environment.

Why regulation is the key to protecting today’s and future children from toxic plastic toys

3rd October 2019

It’s encouraging to see that plastic pollution in oceans and environment has become quite a talked about topic. But an issue that is often overlooked is the toxic chemicals that can be found in plastic, and how they harm our health, writes HEAL's Executive Director Genon K. Jensen.

The climate emergency is a medical one – health sector issues prescription for a healthy energy future

24th September 2019

Today, HEAL launches the Prescription for a Healthy Energy Future for Europe, to shine a light on the health benefits the transformation of the energy sector will bring, and bring to the forefront those areas where change is urgently needed. We will eventually include transport and food production as well.

Grenzwertige Debatte: Der Streit um Stickoxide ist vor allem eins: Symptom für die verschlafene Mobilitätswende

13th March 2019

Billige Kohle kommt der Gesundheit teuer zu stehen

28th December 2018

Dass Kohle schlecht fürs Klima ist, wissen die meisten. Weniger bekannt sind die Gesundheitsbelastungen durch die Kohleverstromung. Ein neues Briefing der Health and Environment Alliance beleuchtet die gesundheitlichen Folgen der Braunkohlenutzung und plädiert für einen schnellen Ausstieg.

Page 1
Page 2
Next