Climate change: A public health issue
When we talk about climate change, we rarely mention hospitals, doctors or patients. But the effects of a warming planet are already being felt in clinics across Europe.
Sanidad #PorElClima (Health #ForTheClimate) was created to respond to this reality. Led by Climate Pact Partner ECODES, it brings together the entire healthcare community in Spain – from hospitals and primary care centres to professional associations and technical staff – to act for a healthier, more sustainable future.
I’m Philippine Ménager, project manager at ECODES. Our team supports health centres to cut emissions, prepare for climate risks and highlight the many health benefits of climate action. But Sanidad #PorElClima is powered by the people and organisations working across Spain’s health system themselves – hundreds of professionals stepping up to protect people’s health in a changing climate.
Through our work, we’ve seen that climate change is not just an environmental challenge. It is one of the most pressing public health threats of our time, with rising temperatures, pollution and extreme weather events impacting the most vulnerable first.
After COP26 in Glasgow, when many countries – including Spain – committed to decarbonising their healthcare systems, it became clear that action could not wait. Sanidad #PorElClima stepped in to help turn those commitments into action across the country.
Health #ForTheClimate
Healthcare is on the frontline of climate impacts, but it also contributes to emissions. Sanidad #PorElClima works with healthcare actors to reduce this footprint while improving the resilience of facilities and the wellbeing of patients.
It provides tools like a carbon footprint calculator, supports health centres to take practical steps, and connects professionals through an online community where they can share experiences, solutions and achievements.
From doctors and nurses to maintenance teams and pharmacists, everyone has a role to play, because climate action becomes stronger when we all work together.
Climate of opinion
“We learned to speak the language of health – not just climate.”
In the early days, we faced resistance. Hospitals and clinics were still recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. Most public health facilities lacked dedicated sustainability staff or budgets, and Spain’s decentralised system posed administrative barriers. Climate action, while acknowledged, was not seen as urgent.
But even with those challenges, the commitment of professionals across Spain kept the initiative going. To support progress, we had to rethink how we communicated. So, we learned to speak the language of health – not just climate.
A snowball effect
When the Spanish Ministry of Health officially recognised Sanidad #PorElClima, it marked a turning point. What started as a small initiative grew into a national movement.
Today, more than 450 healthcare facilities across Spain are part of Sanidad #PorElClima.
Nearly 800 carbon footprint calculations have been carried out since 2018, helping facilities understand and reduce their environmental impact.
This momentum is because of the community itself. As hospitals installed solar panels, updated ambulance fleets or improved energy efficiency, others followed their lead. Each success story encouraged another.
Changing mindsets
From hospitals to clinics to primary care centres, many facilities are now taking steps to cut emissions, green their supply chains and make buildings more climate resilient. But the biggest transformation has been in people’s mindset.
As awareness grew, something important started to change. A real shift is underway: health centres that once saw climate as a distant issue are now ‘prescribing’ climate action.
Sharing success stories helped build momentum. When one facility made a change, others saw that progress was possible – and often beneficial to patient care, staff wellbeing and operating costs.
“A real shift is underway: health centres that once saw climate as a distant issue are now ‘prescribing’ climate action.”
A new culture of care
Sanidad #PorElClima is helping build a new culture in healthcare – one that sees environmental responsibility as part of the ethical duty to do no harm and a necessity to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate.
Hospitals are on the frontline when extreme weather events strike, from power supply disruptions to overheating wards, or an influx of patients experiencing heat stress or flood-related illness. By strengthening resilience and reducing emissions, health centres are protecting patients as well as the system itself.
The Climate Pact has helped us amplify this message, connect with partners across Europe and scale up the impact of Sanidad #PorElClima.
Across Spain, health centres like the Galician Health Service, Hospital Fundación Sanitaria Mollet and Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón are already part of the network, with facilities of all sizes taking practical steps to cut emissions and build resilience.
Prevention is better than cure
Doctors, nurses, hospital porters and pharmacists not only help people to heal, but also prepare them for climate emergencies and prevent potential harm.
Whether it’s advising older people on how to stay cool during heatwaves, raising awareness of the increased risk of diseases like malaria in warmer regions, or supporting patients in flood-risk areas to prepare for emergencies, they keep communities safe as the climate changes.
By working alongside the health sector, we make climate action visible, relevant and achievable in spaces where trust is high and impact can be even higher.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved – but we know there’s more to do.
As climate change continues to threaten health, this work is more urgent than ever. We’ve been there from the start and we remain committed to the future.
Every clinic that cuts emissions, every nurse who speaks up, every hospital that embraces sustainability contributes to lasting change.