West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership launches new climate change campaign

The campaign aims to encourage everyone working across the partnership in West Yorkshire to be aware of how individual actions can impact on the climate and how decreasing carbon emissions is good for health.

The campaign will see West Yorkshire healthcare leaders asking colleagues to promise to do one simple thing of their choosing to reduce the impact on the environment.

Everyone will make this a pledge on the campaign’s website, the partnership said.

The campaign builds on staff insight about the changes they want to see and be part of.

It will share real life examples of how small changes to everyday behaviours will collectively make a positive difference to the world and people’s health, for example cycling to work, energy saving, recycling clothes, and eating less meat.

Campaign messages set out alternative options which can be cheaper too.

Frank Swinton, WY HCP Climate Change Lead said: ‘We’re taking climate change into our own hands.

"By making changes to everyday actions, together we can make a positive difference to the environment, to our health and to the wellbeing of our communities. At West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, we’re all hands in for a better future".

Rob Webster CBE, CEO-Designate for WY HCP said: ‘As a health and care partnership we have a role to play in tackling the climate emergency. The environment in which we live shapes people’s health. Poor air quality is attributable to around 1 in 20 deaths across our area with associated geographic inequalities. This coupled with the health and care sector’s significant carbon footprint has made climate change a priority for all. This campaign is part of our commitment to act on an agenda that can feel too big to tackle. We know that together, we can. Please get involved, make the change you want to see, write and deliver your pledge’.

The campaign will launch through video, social media and posters pointing people to make their pledge on the campaign website.

With reminder communications and people sharing their own stories of how they are creating a better future across the summer months, the campaign hopes to build momentum for years to come.