Event highlights
18 October 2024
“The triple planetary crisis – encompassing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – is an existential threat that affects every one of us, regardless of borders or backgrounds. The impacts are no longer abstract projections for the future; they are present realities that we must confront today,” said Judit Bidló, Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health at the Ministry of the Interior, Hungary, in her opening remarks.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that when we tackle environmental challenges, we also promote and protect the physical and mental health and well-being of our citizens,” she continued.
More than 100 people participated in the high-level policy dialogue in Brussels on 7 October, both in person and online.
During the opening, high-level speakers reiterated that comprehensive, multisectoral action can help to combat the increasing pressures that the triple planetary crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss is putting on mental health and well-being.
The following panel discussions highlighted the importance of addressing anxieties about a “dystopian” future marred by the triple planetary threat, and the question of how to effectively implement mental health and psychosocial support interventions in the aftermath of extreme weather events.
Several speakers remarked that – while there is sufficient evidence about the links between environmental crises and mental health – there is a need to better document and promote the implementation of interventions that can help communities to respond to and rebuild from emergencies, and to better understand how to work effectively across sectors and disciplines.
Speakers also emphasized that the focus should not solely lie on the mental health impacts of extreme weather events, but also consider slower processes triggered by climate change, such as decreased water availability, as well as the exacerbation of existing vulnerabilities such as poverty and social marginalization.
The discussions were rooted in concrete action.
“At WHO/Europe, we are doing all that we can to address these interconnected crises,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, in a video statement.
“The Budapest Declaration on Environment and Health is accelerating climate action. We established the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition to work closely with countries across the Region to develop and implement policies that promote mental health resilience. (…) And with our new regional framework Preparedness 2.0, we are also making mental health a priority in health emergency preparedness and response.”
Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, also in a video statement, said that the European Commission has adopted a comprehensive approach to mental health, which includes more than €1 billion in funding opportunities. Of this amount, the EU4Health programme allocated over €18.5 million to mental health initiatives in 2023 alone. “We also have the European Climate and Health Observatory, where WHO/Europe is one of the key partners, to help us to understand and address the health impacts of climate change.”
Sharing experiences from countries
Finland, Italy and Spain presented their successes and challenges at the country level to address the mental health impacts of climate change, while Greece and Hungary shared lessons learned from their responses to other emergencies. They were joined by representatives from intergovernmental and international organizations such as WHO/Europe, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the European Federation of Nurses Associations, United for Global Mental Health, Mental Health Europe, and the European Commission, who spoke about the complexities of implementing multicountry, multisectoral work in the face of emergencies, both climate-related and otherwise.
Poland, which will take over the EU presidency from Hungary, has communicated that it plans to continue the work of the current trio presidency in elevating mental health on the European Union’s political agenda.
Event notice
7 October 2024
The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and WHO/Europe are jointly hosting a high-level policy dialogue on the mental health impact of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss.
The event will be held in the context of the WHO Leadership Dialogue on Global Health Diplomacy, 3 days ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Bringing together representatives from Member States of the European Union, the European Commission and other stakeholders, including public health advocates and youth representatives, the meeting aims to:
- exchange evidence and insights regarding the mental health impacts of climate change and other environmental crises;
- explore evidence-based policies, actions, and resource availability to lessen these effects;
- encourage cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration to create a more resilient and mentally healthy future for everyone;
- pinpoint priority areas for further action in policy and practice.
Mental health and the triple planetary crisis
The triple planetary crisis poses threats not only to physical health but also to mental health and well-being. Extreme weather conditions related to climate change, such as excessive heat and drought, as well as severe weather events like floods, storms and wildfires, can lead to:
- increased psychological distress
- anxiety
- depression
- post-traumatic stress
- an increased demand for mental health care and services.
Additionally, poor air quality and other environmental problems, such as noise and light pollution, may also adversely impact mental health.
Vulnerable groups that are often disproportionately affected include children, adolescents, older adults, individuals with pre-existing mental health issues and front-line responders.
Countries recognized the need to act urgently
The negative mental health effects of climate change and environmental crises and the need to urgently act upon them were recognized by countries in the WHO European Region in the Budapest Declaration, adopted at the 7th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest, Hungary, in July 2023. The call for action was also included in “A comprehensive approach to mental health”, launched by the European Commission and endorsed by the Council of the European Union in November 2023.