Planetary Health Policy


The Planetary Health Alliance policy team aims to translate the growing field of Planetary Health science into transdisciplinary policy action.



To holistically address the impacts of human disruption to Earth’s natural systems on health and wellbeing we:

  • advocate for integrated, transdisciplinary policies from local to global scales
  • actively mobilize and engage stakeholders
  • build transdisciplinary alliances and partnerships
  • develop and share policy tools
  • attend decision-making events as expert advisors and as a formal delegation
  • analyze emerging policies and their relation to Planetary Health
  • communicate the state of decision-making on Planetary Health
  • inform Planetary Health implementation science, practice, and education
  • build the capacity of PHA Members to take policy action.
We recognize the interconnection between the state of the natural environment and the health and wellbeing of humans and all of life on Earth.

While research increasingly demonstrates that thriving natural systems are fundamental for good health and wellbeing - and this message is consistently delivered by Indigenous Peoples and other knowledge systems - this interconnection is not broadly or systematically reflected in policies and practice at any scale or in any sector.
 
At the same time, concurrent global environmental changes are increasingly recognized as public health threats, worldwide. Environmental crises are leading to humanitarian and global health crises but siloed decision-making processes are not equipped to prevent or effectively respond to them.

PHA policy work responds to calls for integrated and interdisciplinary evidence, policy, and implementation and also draws attention to critical gaps, and urgent and emerging issues. We aim to build an active global constituency committed to a systems-thinking approach to reduce our ecological footprint and secure a thriving future for humanity and the rest of life on Earth.

We recognize that longstanding systems of injustice have led to inequitable exposures to environmental degradation, unequal access to nature for its positive benefits, and inequitable distributions of the burden of impacts from global environmental changes. PHA is committed to strengthening efforts to address environmental determinants of health equity and working on Planetary Health priorities as expressed by marginalized communities and groups. We believe that transformative policy arises when both science and diverse knowledge are mobilized.  

PHA Members, Fellows, and our 10 Regional Hubs provide essential input to our strategic thinking and policy outputs.

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Join the PHA to contribute to our policy work.


Planetary Health Policy Notes & Briefs

Policy briefs are short and concise analyses of current policy challenges related to Planetary Health. By summarizing the latest scientific knowledge, they provide evidence-based background information, present the available policy options and derive recommendations for action. - CPHP

Alliance members are welcome to submit policy briefs for inclusion here. Please use the contact form to get in touch.

Centre for Planetary Health Policy

The Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHP) was established by the German Alliance on Climate Change and Health (KLUG) in late 2021 to proactively advance scientific policy advice at the nexus of global environmental change and health, and to place planetary health at the top of the policy agenda.

Rights and Knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and Planetary Health

PHA POLICY NOTE, MAY 2023 - This Note aims to elevate the views expressed by Indigenous leaders in the 2023 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and call attention to how Planetary Health work can align with UNPFII.

An Emergent Planetary Health Law


OCTOBER 2023 - Eric Ip outlines building blocks for Planetary Health law based on the right to a healthy environment and the rights of nature, bringing coherence to international environmental and global health law.

Sustainable Health Equity Movement

The Sustainable Health Equity Movement (SHEM) links citizens, public health and healthcare, scientists, academics, and related institutions from all regions, cultures, and ideologies pursuing the universal right to health. SHEM aims to promote sustainable health equity as an ethical principle that guides all national and international economic, social, and environmental policies.

Health and Global Policy Institute

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is an independent non-profit, non-partisan think tank established in 2004 in Tokyo, Japan. HGPI is working with multi-stakeholders to identify current issues and to take future steps to address the impact of environmental changes on our health from a “planetary health” perspective.

Ecocide Law for an Economy within Planetary Boundaries

"Ecocide" is broadly understood to mean mass damage and destruction of ecosystems – severe harm to nature which is widespread or long-term. 

Planetary Health Alliance

The Planetary Health Alliance is a consortium of over 340 universities, government entities, research institutes, and other partners around the world committed to understanding and addressing global environmental change and its health impacts.
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