Jubilee Post News & Views
Dr. Seema Javed
Thirty influential health organisations representing the interests of over 12 million health professionals worldwide — including major global health voices and health professional associations at the international, national, and regional levels—have signed a commitment to no longer work with PR and ad agencies who also provide services to the fossil fuel industry.
The organisations have signed up to the Break the Fossil Influence – Fossil-Free Health Communications campaign, which launched today during the World Health Assembly (WHA 78) in Geneva.
Organisations that have made the commitment include Amref Health Africa, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), The Lancet, along with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, (IFMSA), the World Federation of Public Health Association(WFPHA), World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA), Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and UK Health Alliance on Climate Change.
“Fossil fuels are making people sick—and the companies behind them are spending millions on advertising and PR to cover it up”, said Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, which developed the initiative. “The same PR firms spreading fossil fuel disinformation are also working with health organizations—a clear conflict of interest for health. Through the Break the Fossil Influence – Fossil-Free Health Communications commitment, health organizations are leading by example by cutting ties with agencies that provide services to the fossil fuel industry.”
“Health organizations have great power that they can bring to bear in their hiring of advertising, marketing, and design companies by choosing to work only with agencies that do not take money from fossil fuel companies”, said Jeni Miller, Global Executive Director of Climate and Health Alliance. “The Fossil-Free Health Communications Commitmentis a way for the health sector to show leadership not just by speaking out or by making their own operations sustainable and climate resilient, but by refusing to work with businesses that support polluters.”
“Just like health leaders once stood up to Big Tobacco and its advertising, it’s time to stand up to Big Oil”, continued Miller. “By making the Fossil-Free Health Communications commitment, organizations are demonstrating that they won’t help spread fossil fuel disinformation, and will use every tool they have, including their ad and PR dollars to protect people’s health and the planet.“
“Ad and PR agencies should listen to the overwhelming medical evidence of the harm of fossil fuels, and drop polluting clients immediately. Fossil fuel pollution is a threat to every aspect of human health, and incompatible with the business goals of the rest of the ad industry”, said Duncan Meisel, Executive Director, Clean Creatives. “The organisations signing this new commitment are laying down an important marker for the entire health sector: agencies with fossil fuel clients have a clear conflict of interest for any company trying to protect human health.”
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
