September 22, 2023 - Heatwaves have already begun in southern Australia this spring, and more are predicted over the summer months on the back of an El Nino declaration and worsening climate change. Dr ...
Climate Change
Human pressure on the natural environment is widening and escalating. Environmental threats to human wellbeing, health and survival has become evident over the past two to three decades.
Doctors for the Environment Australia seeks to raise awareness of the risks to local and global human health – present and future – from environmentally damaging and disruptive technological choices and related short-term economic priorities.
DEA is focussed on human-induced climate change, widely regarded as now the most serious, and growing, worldwide threat to human health and survival and to social stability.
In September 2019, Doctors for the Environment Australia declared a Climate Health Emergency and were supported by numerous medical organisations both in Australia and overseas.
Climate Change Resources
POLICY PAPER AND POSITION STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
DEA Policy: Action on climate change and health – governance and strategy : the need for federal leadership and new Commonwealth laws to guide climate change mitigation and adaptation with a focus on present and future threats.
FACTSHEETS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Heatwaves and Health (Jan 2020)
Bushfires and Health: our fire-prone continent is at particular risk from the impacts of climate change, and we are experiencing more extreme heat events, an increase in severe fire danger days and a longer fire season. (Dec 2017)
Severe storms, floods and your health (March 2017)
How Climate Change Affects Your Health: The Facts (September 2021)
PowerPoint presentation that details why climate change and sustainability is core business for health professionals and an essential part of health education. (July 2018)
DEA SUBMISSIONS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Zali Steggall’s climate change Bills (Nov 2020)
Medical sector calls for urgent action on climate change and investment in healthcare sustainability
September 22, 2023 - The Australian Medical Association and Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) are calling on federal, state and territory governments and the wider healthcare sector to take urgent action against climate ...
The Project: Experts warn Australia won’t cope with increasing heat
August 4, 2023 - DEA’s Executive Director Dr Kate Wylie was on The Project, talking about climate change and extreme weather, such as the deadly heat we’ve been seeing across the Northern Hemisphere. “If ...
National Health and Climate Strategy
August 1, 2023 - Doctors for the Environment Australia(DEA) is a strong advocate for the development of a National Climate and Health Strategy and welcomed the opportunity to respond to the proposed objectives and ...
Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill 2023
July 7, 2023 - DEA is opposed to the proposed Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using NewTechnologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill 2023 (the Bill). The Bill through ss19(7b) effectively sanctions and makes possible ...
Setting, measuring and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets
July 7, 2023 - Prepared by DEA members, Drs Genevieve Cowie, Vicki Kotsirilos, Graeme McLeay and Ben Ewald, our submission largely addresses health concerns associated with Australia’s emissions reduction and climate change. The two ...
Fact Sheet: Severe Storms, Floods and Your Health
May 8, 2023 - Floods and severe storms are harmful to our health. Extreme weather is becoming more common with climate change, and is demanding and costly to individuals, communities and health systems. This ...
MJAInsight: Doctors must ‘step up’ to confront climate crisis
May 1, 2023 - When the Australian Parliament recently passed the Safeguard Mechanism- the country’s most significant carbon emissions reduction legislation in over a decade- where was the health voice in the debate? DEA’s ...
DEA goes to Canberra
March 8, 2023 - As trusted voices, doctors and others in the health sector, who are on the frontline of care, have a role in influencing policy in decarbonisation: The health of our patients, ...
Daily Telegraph: Mapped- Australia’s looming heatwave problem
December 19, 2022 - Australian heatwaves are set to be more severe, with massive implications for work, sport and health. According to the data from Monash University’s 360 info team, the trend will be ...
Croakey: COP27 – a missed opportunity for Australian health ministers and departments to lead on climate action
December 16, 2022 - 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 ...
Dr Ying Gu for Women’s Agenda: Climate change has women’s health consequences that must be addressed
November 29, 2022 - We know about the impact of climate change on our environment, but what about on fertility and pregnancy? Climate change, fertility and pregnancy are not typically discussed together, however, obstetrician ...
Public Consultation on the draft Climate Change Policy and draft Action Plan 2022-2025
November 22, 2022 - DEA welcomes the development of new climate change environmental quality objectives, guidelines, and policy by the NSW EPA, in recognition of its duty under the POEA act. We would like ...
Surgeons first to sign up to new green guidelines
November 18, 2022 - The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has become the first medical college in Australia to sign up to the newly released Green College Guidelines. The guidelines, which have been ...
Media Release: Climate Change Performance Index ranks Australia 55
November 15, 2022 - Members of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) are disappointed their country has been ranked 55 in the recent release of the Germanwatch Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). While Australia ...
Medicos pressing for greater climate action
November 4, 2022 - “This is a public health crisis….It is really important for the health sector to step up and speak out about it” says Dr Kim Loo. Dr Kim Loo DEA’s NSW ...
Dr Richard Yin: People ask about the cost of action. We should also be asking, what is the cost of inaction of climate change.
March 7, 2022 - The science is very clear that climate change is being caused by fossil fuel combustion. It is also very clear that this will have enormous health impacts both locally and globally.
Submission to the public exhibition of the NSW Design and Place SEPP, and the Apartment Design Guide Feb 2022
March 3, 2022 - Doctors for the Environment Australia recently welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the NSW government on the health aspects of a revision of a State Environmental Planning Policy ...
Dr Kate Charlesworth: The IPCC report is a stark warning for Australia’s leaders with their current emissions trajectory
March 1, 2022 - Public health physician and DEA member Dr Kate Charlesworth commented on the recently released IPCC report in a Channel 7 News report. Conservation groups say the latest global report by ...
Dr Cybele Dey: The invisible impact of climate change
January 27, 2022 - Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Cybele Dey is the Chair of the Mental Health Working Group and a member of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) based in Sydney. In ...