Planetary Health Ethics: Beyond First Principles

Abstract

Planetary health is a transdisciplinary approach that aims to advance the understanding of the links between human-driven changes to the planet and their consequences, and to develop appropriate solutions to the challenges identified. This emerging movement has not yet agreed upon a code of ethics to underpin the rapidly expanding body of research being carried out in its name. However, a code of ethics might support the principles for planetary health set out in the Canmore Declaration of 2018. Phrases such as “Public Health 2.0”, “Human Health in an Era of Global Environmental Change”, or “A safe and just operating space for humanity” are often used in planetary health discussions, but are not always clearly defined and so far, the field lacks a strong guiding ethical framework. In this paper, we propose a starting point towards a code of ethics for planetary health that builds on the Canmore Declaration. We chose to propose 12 ethical principles in recognition of the need for a 12-Step Programme for the planet. The human race must identify and reject damaging behaviours. Evidence of the harm we are causing the planet is no longer enough and refraining from certain current practices is essential for Earth’s future health. We must motivate advocacy and calls for action. We believe a shared ethical code can act as a tool to enable and encourage that process. This paper is presented to the planetary health community as a starting point, not as a finished agenda. We welcome comments, critiques, additions and the opportunity to rework our approach accordingly.

Planetare Gesundheit – transformative Lehr- und Lernformate zur Klima- und Nachhaltigkeitskrise für Gesundheitsberufe

“…Das Konzept greift außerdem zukunfts- und gerechtigkeitsbezogene Aspekte auf, indem es die Gesundheit zukünftiger Generationen als Zielgröße und gegenwärtige Ungleichheiten als Ursachen für Gesundheit und Krankheit berücksichtigt [ 13 ]. Planetare Gesundheit ist darüber hinaus eng mit den Zielen für nachhaltige Entwicklung ( Sustainable Development Goals ) der Vereinten Nationen verknüpft [ 14 ], die als eine Übersetzung des theoretischen Konzepts in konkrete, praktisch umsetzbare Ziele verstanden werden können.…”

A Planetary Health Perspective to Decarbonising Public Hospitals in Ireland: A Health Policy Report

“…Planetary Health (PH) is a transdisciplinary approach which aims to examine the links between human-driven changes to the planet and their consequences, and develop appropriate solutions to the challenges identified (Stone, et al, 2018). The PH approach to health and well-being offers a strong focus on the increasingly short time-frame and urgency in which humanity and policy-makers need to address the environmental changes that affect human health (Foster et al, 2018;Stone et al, 2018).…”

COVID-19, wet markets, and planetary health

“…To avoid future pandemics of zoonotic diseases, leading international figures have called for an international ban on wet markets. 1 However, from the perspective of planetary health, 2 which draws a connection between the health of humans and their environment, engaging in small-scale animal husbandry—of which live-animal markets often form a part—while reducing global meat consumption and more rigorously enforcing a ban on illegal wildlife trade would be beneficial. Wet markets provide an important source of protein to populations in low-income regions and the food systems in which such markets are embedded, and they are more environmentally sustainable than industrial food systems.…”

“…Instead of trying to outlaw all live-animal markets, it would be more effective to reduce the scale of global meat consumption and produce a smaller amount of meat predominantly through small-scale, organic, and local enterprises; regulate wet markets more stringently to improve hygiene and prevent species mixing; and use such regulated wet markets as a tool to enforce the ban on illegal wildlife trade. This approach would also be more ethical 2 towards smallholder farmers in low-income and middle-income countries, who could continue to make a living through mixed crop–livestock farming; towards the animals, whose welfare on free-range farms is indisputably higher than in intensive systems; and towards future generations, by leaving them a safer and more liveable planet.…”