Community group leaders, an NHS doctor and sustainability fellow, and a professor in climate change say individuals have the power to make a positive difference to both public health and the climate, in a climate-focused episode of the Equally Valued podcast.

In this episode, we ask  contributors for their perspectives on the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities for tackling climate change in communities and healthcare settings – and if we are en-route to reach net zero by 2040.

Discussing the importance of the connected themes of health, environment, transport and climate change, Professor of Climate Change and Energy Stephen Peake says we should challenge the idea that individuals are powerless to fight the climate crisis. He adds that there is a connection between mental, physical and environmental wellbeing:

“A way of approaching mental wellbeing is to move, or be social – be outdoors with people, maybe gardening or to do what you can to keep yourself physically fit can help you keep mentally fit. While that trendy phrase ‘net zero’ – it means unapologetically, unembarrassingly, idealistically joined-up thinking.

“We just have to have this way of reimagining what we’re doing. It’s easy to mock ourselves and say, ‘that’s not going to make any difference, you’re wasting your time’ but of course that’s not true.”

From climate anxiety to action

Professor Peake explains that engaging in individual action, not only changes the individual but also influences people around us which can then have a knock-on effect on the people around them and then organisations:

“We know that we can nudge and influence society to consume so surely we can influence society to do other behaviours that are ultimately more beneficial to us.

“The intellectual argument’s to say ‘it’s planetary scale and there’s only one of you’ but actually, it only takes a few of us to change the system. Let’s be careful of that cynical voice within us all that says what I’m doing doesn’t make a difference. It’s a trick, it’s a magic trick and it’s wrong.”

Dr Shauna Golden, NHS Lothian’s environmental sustainability fellow, says that tackling ongoing anxiety around the planet and our ability to address the climate crisis goes hand-in-hand with the need for radical action.

Despite this need to recognise the power of individual spheres of influence, Dr Golden says it is essential that people do not become isolated, feeling the burden of climate action lies solely on them:

“There’s ongoing anxiety about the destruction of the planet around us, you have this anxiety and this grief but you also often don’t feel that other people are acting or don’t feel that panic is happening.

“Do your best but think beyond the individual because I think that really contributes to eco-anxiety because people have this guilt and shame – it’s just highly inefficient if nothing else, in addition to harming their mental health.”

Dr Golden says that while the Scottish government definitely needs to act faster and more radically, it “has to be admired” for outlining action plans with 2022’s publication of a climate and sustainability strategy.

Dr Golden adds that action at a government and business level is key to supporting people, both in terms of physical health and in terms of mental wellbeing too:

“People, on top of the struggles of living, on top of the NHS crisis, are coming to me with all this inward guilt and focus about their individual actions. I think it’s so important for both a mental health and action perspective that people can move away from this idea that has been peddled, it’s disempowering.

“We need people to feel comfortable with how they live their lives – and then look slightly bigger in their sphere of influence. It doesn’t have to be a perfect change, and no one has to be perfect to initiate that change.”

One such change is the development of positive climate and health action work by Glasgow researchers through engagement sessions with stakeholders from across academia, the local council, businesses and the public to see the city as a Living Lab.

Government support

With the rise of industrialisation, the UK fast became among one of the biggest contributors to global warming, ranking 8^th worldwide. The health service contributes between 4 and 5% of total carbon emissions.

Philip Revell, the Convener for Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN), says he is concerned that more ambitious targets or programmes of work are not being set and funded here in Scotland and the UK, despite Scotland “thinking it is doing really well”:

“I think 2040 is too late, to be quite honest. I think we in the West have a real debt to the rest of the world because we have caused this crisis.

“We have been responsible for most of the emissions which have caused the climate crisis so, really, climate justice would demand that we actually get to net zero much quicker than that – if at all possible. It’s going to be extremely difficult, I don’t think we’re on target at the moment and that’s going to be particularly challenge in the health service.

“I think part of that is around enhancing climate and carbon literacy at all levels amongst staff in the health service to help everyone really think how their practices can change and what reduces dependence.”

The BMA has reported that Scotland’s NHS boards are able to provide more detailed data on their carbon footprint than their counterparts across the rest of the UK.

The national medical association noted that Scottish health boards include adaptation plans in their reporting, which can ‘have beneficial overlapping consequences’ on developments like green infrastructure offering both a source of carbon reduction and protection against adverse weather.

This was highlighted by Professor Peake, who views Oban’s esplanade as a case study in addressing climate change with healthy behaviours, promoting active travel in the community, reducing car emissions and providing a flood defence.

Around nine in ten surveyed BMA members say they are concerned about the public health implications of climate change. As a doctor at NHS Lothian, Dr Golden shared her concerns for public health in the face of climate change with healthandcare.scot after being appointed sustainability fellow.

Dr Golden says the time for reflection on the risks of climate change is “somewhat passed” and now it “all about action” from the Scottish government to bridge the gap between targets and outcomes. She explains that it is clear what needs to be done:

“Good care is environmentally sustainable care, so it comes back to what we need to survive.

“Talking about all the things we need to do to tackle climate change – clean air, green space, better time outside, active lifestyles […] What if climate change is all a myth and we’ve just accidentally made the world a way better place?”

This is our second article on the crossover between improving health and safeguarding the environment from the podcast discussions. Read more about local health and sustainability action here.

For more perspectives and to hear about initiatives across the NHS and communities and their benefits beyond just carbon reductions, you can listen to the podcast episode ‘Exploring the intersection between climate and health in Scotland’, on Anchor FM or Spotify.

Read more: Working together for climate action and good health; Disposable gloves to protect patients and the planet; Realistic medicine to help the climate

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