Climate change threatens humanity and the planet on which we live. Social inequities, including startling variance in the health outcomes that different population groups enjoy, also pose a threat to humanity, although less directly. Together, the scale of devastation these threats pose is unprecedented…but wholesale destruction is not inevitable.

Humanity can and must act to prevent catastrophic climate change and redress egregious global health inequities. It must act now. With a focus on disrupting the existing ‘consumptagenic system’, this talk outlines some of the steps necessary to move from inertia towards effective and equitable climate change adaptation and mitigation through progressive public policy, sustainable business models and effective social mobilization.

Image: Canberra Dawn by Matt Roberts , reproduced under Creative Commons Licence.

About the speaker

Sharon Friel is Professor of Health Equity and Director of the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), ANU. She is also Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Governance ANU. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia and co-Director of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in the Social Determinants of Health Equity. Between 2005 and 2008 she was the Head of the Scientific Secretariat (University College London) of the World Health Organisation Commission on Social Determinants of Health.

Her interests are in the political economy of health; the social determinants of health inequities, including trade and investment, food systems, urbanisation, climate change. Her recent book “Climate Change and the People’s Health” was published by OUP in Jan 2019.

This event is hosted by the ANU College of Health and Medicine.