Planetary Health

ISGlobal Strategic Plan is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through different strategic actions. One of these strategies is Planetary Health.

Planetary Health has gained widespread visibility with the publication of The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health (Lancet, 2015). Two recent examples of this growing interest are the recognition of Planetary Health in the Call for Action of the Summit Our Planet, Our Future organized by the Foundation of the Nobel Prize and the National Academy of Science in USA and signed by 126 Nobel Laureates, and the recent adoption of Planetary Health as a thematic focus area by the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC Network).

As part of the Severo Ochoa programme, ISGlobal has initiated a series of actions to contribute developing a Planetary Health approach in global and local contexts. These actions have included research and translation, education and outreach.

Our goals

The main objectives of the Planetary Health activities at ISGlobal are:

• Strengthen the network of Planetary Health in Europe and Internationally
• Contribute to develop an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and innovation agenda for Planetary Health
• Promote interdisciplinary training in Planetary Health
• Establish local and international alliances in the field

Education and Training in Planetary Health

Planetary Wellness Initiative at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)

At the end of 2017, following a dialogue between Jaume Casals, Rector of UPF, and Planetary Health experts from ISGlobal, the Rector announced the university’s intention to launch a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary initiative in the field of Planetary Wellbeing. The initiative, coordinated by Josep Lluís Martí and Josep M. Antó, has provided the UPF with a vision committed to addressing the major challenges of 21st century global society and generating transformative energies to reshape both the university and its urban environment, the city of Barcelona.

Interuniversity Master's Degree in Planetary Health

Building on ISGlobal's advancements in planetary health, we have positioned ourselves as pioneers in planetary health education by offering one of the world's first interuniversity master's programs in the field. This program, launched in collaboration with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC, coordinator) and UPF, began in 2021 in a fully online format.

Master's in Planetary Health

Starting in the 2019-20 academic year, ISGlobal experts began offering a new elective course on planetary health as part of the Master's in Public Health at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

Planetary Health Course at the ISGlobal International Summer School

The online ISGlobal Summer School in Global Health 2024 offers a unique interdisciplinary program, featuring six distinct modules from which participants can select up to three, including training in planetary health.

Promoting Postgraduate Education in Planetary Health Across Europe

Pompeu Fabra University’s Centre for Studies on Planetary Wellbeing (UPF), the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), and the European Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance co-organised a workshop to explore and discuss the latest advances in postgraduate education on planetary health in Europe. The event aimed to bring together key stakeholders from European academic institutions to showcase recent progress and foster collaboration in the field of planetary health education.

Main Objectives:

• Share innovative experiences in postgraduate education on planetary health.
• Identify barriers, challenges, and opportunities for research and innovation.
• Foster cooperation between universities and other academic institutions.

Date and Time
Wednesday, 10 May
9:00 - 17:00 CEST

Format and Structure
The workshop was held in a hybrid format: face-to-face at Pompeu Fabra University - Campus Ciutadella, in Barcelona, and online via Zoom.

• Morning Session: Focused on presenting the development of new planetary health programmes, bringing together directors from several European universities currently implementing such initiatives.
• Midday Session: Explored ways to integrate the planetary health approach into Master’s in Public Health programmes, with participants sharing experiences and discussing the role of European public health schools and associations.
• Afternoon Session: Included a panel discussion aimed at identifying opportunities for future collaboration with other programmes at UPF and UOC.

Target Audience
Educators and professionals in planetary health and public health, individuals involved in developing postgraduate education on related topics, and students with a keen interest in planetary health education.

Further Information:

• Session recording available

Research and Translation in Planetary Health

Official EU Conference on Planetary Health

In December 2019, ISGlobal collaborated with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) to organise the official EU conference “Europe Protecting: Safeguarding our Planet, Safeguarding our Health”, held under the Finnish EU Presidency in Helsinki. The conference resulted in a declaration urging action on planetary health throughout the 2020s. A detailed report of the event was later published in Environmental Research (Halonen J et al., 2021). This commentary explores the declaration’s key aspects and implications for policy and research.

Identifying Research Priorities in Planetary Health

The HERA project (Health and Environment Research Agenda 2020–2030), funded by the EU, was coordinated by INSERM with shared scientific leadership between INSERM and ISGlobal. 

One of the main objectives of HERA has been to foster the development of targeted transdisciplinary research based on research gaps related to key environmental exposures affecting both humans and ecosystems, as well as the main drivers of changes in these exposures and related policy needs integrating environment, ecosystem quality, and health research. HERA has provided a unique opportunity to develop planetary health research priorities across several of its six objectives (Horizon 2020 HERA Research Agenda).

Broadening the Scope of Planetary Health Research in Europe

To strengthen the field of Planetary Health within Europe, ISGlobal, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), organised a series of webinars in early 2021. These sessions brought together stakeholders from academia, government, and civil society to address critical topics in planetary health.

Expanding the Scope of Research in Planetary Health in Europe Webinar Series (24 February – 24 March 2021)

• 1) Strengthening Planetary Health Research and Action in Europe.
• 2) Food Systems, Sustainability, and Health.
• 3) Decarbonisation of Energy, Health, and Equity.
• 4) Promoting Health through Sustainable Urban Development.
• 5) Catalysing Demand for Planetary Health in Europe.

Supporting the Inclusion of Planetary Health in Horizon Europe’s Health Calls

ISGlobal has led a coalition of scientific organisations across Europe—including THL (Finland) and LSHTM (UK)—to advocate for the inclusion of planetary health as a research priority in Horizon Europe’s Work Programme 2023-2024. This effort involved providing input through the public consultation process for the call HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-2.01: Planetary Health: Understanding the Links Between Environmental Degradation and Health Impacts.

The draft call highlights the importance of many of ISGlobal’s initiatives, positioning planetary health as a key area for research funding with the potential to advance several of the EU’s Green Deal policies. In parallel with this advisory role, ISGlobal, in collaboration with HERA, THL, and LSHTM, is organising the webinar “Fostering Applications on Planetary Health to Horizon Europe Programmes” to inspire and support new research proposals.

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change in Europe

The Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change is a global initiative that monitors the health impacts of climate change, assesses the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and evaluates the health co-benefits of climate action. Building on the findings of the 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, the initiative underscores that anthropogenic climate change poses a severe threat to public health but also presents an unprecedented opportunity to protect and improve global health. The work of The Lancet Countdown is led by its technical experts and 35 academic centers and UN agencies from around the world.

In 2018, ISGlobal experts joined the Lancet Countdown in Europe. This collaboration was formalised in 2021 as The Lancet Countdown in Europe, a dedicated regional initiative leveraging Europe’s extensive data and interdisciplinary expertise. Its mission is to develop high-resolution, Europe-specific indicators that address issues of particular relevance to the region.

Key figures in ISGlobal’s participation include Cathryn Tonne, who leads the initiative’s working group, and Josep M. Antó, who serves as co-chair. In the framework of this initiative, Cathryn Tonne is the Principal Investigator of CATALYSE (2022-2025), a Horizon Europe-funded project that aims to provide new knowledge, data, and tools on the links between environmental risks driven by climate change, ecosystems, and human health.

Encouraging Applications on Planetary Health for Horizon Europe

As part of its advocacy for planetary health research, the HERA project, ISGlobal, LSHTM, and THL organised a webinar to support applications for the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-2.01: Planetary Health: Understanding the Links Between Environmental Degradation and Health Impacts. The online training took place on December 13-14, 2023, from 15:00 to 18:00 CET, with over 170 participants from more than 20 countries.

The agenda was tailored to align with the objectives of the call, focusing on expected outcomes related to policy development, stakeholder engagement, and public awareness. Experts delivered insightful presentations and discussions on the state of the art, offering practical guidance to strengthen current and future research applications.

Further Information:

• Agenda and session recordings for both days.

Dissemination and Communication on Planetary Health

Expert Webinars

Past Events:

• Planetary Health: A New Paradigm that Bridges the Health of People and Planet (01/02/2022).
• Advancing Planetary Health in Europe: A Tale of Two Cities (03/06/2021).
• COP25 - Planetary Health: A Balance between the Welfare of the Planet and that of Human Beings (11/12/2019).

Planetary Health: When the Health of People Depends on the Health of the Planet

The Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of Catalonia and the Catalan Secretariat of Public Health organised the session ‘Planetary Health: When the Health of People Depends on the Health of the Planet’ as part of the "Margarita Coll" training programme.

This session, which took place online on 17 February 2023, had the following objectives:

• To present the interrelationship between the health of the planet and the health and well-being of people.
• To introduce the concept of ‘Planetary Health’ and emphasize the need for its integration into public policies.
• To showcase various initiatives promoted by the Generalitat de Catalunya, with strong interdepartmental collaboration, addressing the transformations needed to tackle planetary health challenges.

The session featured a talk titled ‘Planetary Health: A New Public Health Paradigm in the Anthropocene Era’ by Josep M. Antó Boqué, Senior Researcher at ISGlobal, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Pompeu Fabra University, and Co-director of the Master’s in Planetary Health at UOC, ISGlobal, and UPF.

Further Information:

• Agenda
• Recording of the session

Towards Planetary Thinking in Public Health — 'Biennal Ciutat i Ciència'

Cristina O'Callaghan and Margarita Triguero participated as speakers in the ‘Biennal Ciutat i Ciència’ session ‘Towards Planetary Thinking in Public Health.’ This session focused on the emerging field of planetary health, highlighting how global environmental changes threaten human health and exploring a variety of solutions to reduce humanity’s ecological footprint and ensure a livable future.

Further information:

• Official Event Website (February 2023)

Climate Change Research Conference: Support for Redefining the Social and Environmental Determinants of Health

On 30 March 2023, the Foundation for Research, Teaching, Training and Professional Competence of Spanish Doctors, alongside the Organización Médica Colegial Española (Spanish Medical Association), organised a conference on Climate Change and Health Research to reflect on a year of activity of the Medical Alliance against Climate Change (AMCC). The event brought together scientific societies, medical associations, and the General Council of Medical Associations of Spain (CGCOM).

The session was presented by Tomás Cobo Castro, President of the Foundation and of the CGCOM, and featured Pedro Cabrera, President of the Medical Association of Las Palmas and Coordinator of the CGCOM Working Group on Health and Climate Change. Josep M. Antó discussed the Lancet Countdown 2022 Report on Health and Climate Change.

Further information:

• Spanish Medical Association Website

Other Activities

• ISGlobal contributed to the Medical Association of Catalonia manifesto, demonstrating the medical profession’s commitment to the climate emergency and its impact on health (07/10/2021)
• ISGlobal signed the São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health (06/10/2021)

Blog Articles

• Planetary Health is the Solution: Interview with Carlos Faerron Guzmán, Associate Director of the Planetary Health Alliance by Olena Zotova (01/06/2022)
• Why Is Planetary Health the Solution to Prevent Crises Like COVID-19? by Cristina O'Callaghan-Gordo (16/12/2020)
• Planetary Health and COVID-19: Environmental Degradation as the Origin of the Current Pandemic by Cristina O'Callaghan-Gordo (06/04/2020)

Infographics

• 7 Facts that Show Why Our Health Depends on the Environment

News

• Human Health Depends on the Planet’s Resources (21.02.2019)
• ISGlobal Joins the Planetary Health Alliance (16.01.2018)

Videos

• List of Videos on YouTube

Institutional Activity

• Planetary Health and One Health Monthly Seminar: These monthly meetings aim to foster collaboration between the Planetary Health and One Health approaches by sharing ongoing research activities and collaborations within the institution.
• Assessment of the Carbon Footprint of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB): Building on the experience of assessing the carbon footprint of UPF, ISGlobal coordinated a proposal to assess the carbon footprint of the various research centers at the PRBB. The proposal was accepted and implemented.
• Joining the Global Health Alliance: In 2018, ISGlobal became a member of the Planetary Health Alliance and has been an active participant in the European Hub, contributing to the Working Groups on Education and Research.
• Québec-Catalonia Bilateral Cooperation Project with the Association pour la Santé Publique du Québec (ASPQ) - Réseau d'action durable en santé et services sociaux (Réseau ADS). This project aims to promote networking among health professionals in environmental action and to share best practices for interdisciplinary collaborations in Planetary Health.

Publications

• Jaana I Halonen, et al. The Helsinki Declaration 2020: Europe that protects, The Lancet Planetary Health, Volume 4, Issue 11, 2020, Pages e503-e505, ISSN 2542-5196, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30242-4.
• Jaana I. Halonen, et al. A call for urgent action to safeguard our planet and our health in line with the Helsinki declaration, Environmental Research, Volume 193, 2021, 110600, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110600
• Romanello M et al. Tracking progress on health and climate change in Europe. Lancet Public Health 2021 Nov;6(11):e858-e865. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00207-3
• O'Callaghan-Gordo C and Antó JM. COVID-19: The disease of the Anthropocene. 2020 Aug;187:109683. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109683
• Antó JM, Martí JL, Casals J et al. The Planetary Wellbeing Initiative: Pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education. Sustainability 2021; 13: 3372; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063372
• O'Callaghan-Gordo C, et al. Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health: Development of an online Master's Degree. Front Public Health. 2022 Oct 26;10:969065. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.969065. PMID: 36388308; PMCID: PMC9643718.