CAHA's international partners at Health Care Without Harm have shared their position paper on a just transition.

A just transition is a process that aims to bring about a socially and environmentally responsible change, such as transitioning to a low-carbon economy. It typically involves supporting workers and communities that may be adversely affected by the transition and ensuring that they have the necessary support to adapt to the changes. The goal of a just transition is to make the transition to a more sustainable future fair and equitable for all involved.

The definition of a just transition in recent years has been shaped by the political and ideological leanings of multiple stakeholders. However, a health perspective is often missing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has established the importance of health-based planning, making evident the co-dependence of ecological health and human well-being. The debilitating post-pandemic economic crisis has reiterated the interlinkage between economics, public health and the environment.

HCWH's position paper posits that health is the overlapping but missing link between the different movements’ dreams for a just transition into an equitable world and for healing people and the planet damaged by fossil fuels. A just transition, which has holistic health systems and accessible health care services at its core.

Download the position paper