The recent COP27 meeting was an important opportunity to advance health and climate policy discussions. However, Australian health and medical leaders have expressed disbelief at the silence from Australia’s health ministers and their departments.

Dr Kate Wylie, Deputy Chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia, told Croakey that while she acknowledged that Health Minister Mark Butler has previously voiced support for climate action, staying silent throughout COP27 “was a missed opportunity to shift the narrative and change the nature of the debate”.

DEA member Dr Richard Yin said: “Much more work needs to be done on climate change and health messaging that helps bring the public with us on this issue. It would help if ministers and health departments made comment to acknowledge the problem.”

Drs Wylie and Yin were joined by other health leaders in this Croakey investigation. The full article which was published on 15 December 2022 can be read HERE.