Climate and ecological breakdown are intertwined and leading to an emerging crisis for human health across the planet with the physical impacts of heatwaves, food insecurity, reduced soil fertility, water shortages, extreme weather events, wildfires, the spread of diseases through mosquitoes which will be more prevalent in the UK as the result of climate change etc; the social and economic impacts of climate migration, economic breakdown all impacting on human physical and mental health. There are synergistic interactions between climate change and health and these are likely to be felt more intensely in urban areas in the UK, especially in those of social and economic deprivation with of course the global threat to rural workers, agricultural and food supply chains that will affect us all.

Our professional institutions, local authorities et al have declared “a climate and ecological emergency”. That is step one. Step two is taking action and this must be taken at all levels – personal and professional. Dr Hugh Montgomery will explain why climate change is the greatest threat to global health and set the scene for a conversation on how built environment professionals can and should respond as now is the time for positive responses, with no time for despair. There is much that built environment professionals can do to meet this emergency.

Introduction: Robin Nicholson, Convenor of the Edge

Chair: Kristen Guida, Urban Resilience Team, Greater London Authority

Keynote: Climate change is the biggest threat to human health of the 21st century 

Professor Hugh Montgomery OBE,  Professor of Intensive Care Medicine, UCL and Director, UCL Institute for Human Health and Performance

 Responses: 

Maria Dunn, MRTPI  |Head of Development Policy| Planning and Development | Inclusive Growth, Birmingham City Council  

Ann Marie Aguilar, Senior Vice President EMEA and IWBI

Questions co-ordinator: Julie Godefroy, Julie Godefroy Sustainability and the Edge