Article by Cameron Toogood. New Zealand Medical Students Journal, Issue 29, November 2019. Read here.

COVID-19: The Sustainable Healthcare and Climate Health Conference Aotearoa 2020 has been postponed and will now be held in mid-June 2021. There may be a series of webinars run later in 2020. For further information, sign up to the mailing list at [email protected] with your contact details and SHCH in the subject line.

MEDIA RELEASE, 28 November 2019

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practioners has made a formal commitment to confront the health effects of climate change and has signed the 'Health Professionals Joint Call for Action on Climate Change and Health'.  

Article on findings from the 2019 report - Lancet Countdown on climate change and health with comments from Dr Alexandra Macmillan, OraTaiao Co-convenor. See here.

An article with quotes by Dr Alexandra Macmillan. Consumer magazine, 17 October 2019. Read here.

OraTaiao submission to Ministry of Health, 8 November 2019

MEDIA STATEMENT, 7 November 2019

Health professionals are celebrating the historic passing of the Zero Carbon Act. They applaud its purpose to prevent global warming of more than 1.5 degrees and the inclusion of methane targets. 

“This Act is a crucial piece of legislation for health and wellbeing. It lays the foundations for realising the exciting opportunities that climate action can bring for health and fairness,” says Dr Rhys Jones, Co-convenor of OraTaiao: The NZ Climate and Health Council.

Interview here with Dr Rhys Jones on the school strikes for climate.

MEDIA STATEMENT, 26 September 2019

Members of OraTaiao: NZ Climate and Health Council will join climate events around the country this Friday, 27 September, and are issuing a symbolic medical certificate, as part of the global strikes for climate movement.

“We are taking to the streets tomorrow to show our solidarity with striking students, because to avert the climate crisis requires collective action. As health workers we see it as our professional duty to urge leaders to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr Rhys Jones, Co-convenor of OraTaiao.

Friday 27 September 2019, NZ and globally

OraTaiao is supporting the student led global climate strike calling for bold action on climate change. See our media statement 'Health professionals urge collective action to avert climate crisis'.

Feature article by Bruce Tsai, Kendall Robertson and Susanna Lees Watts. NZMJ Digest Issue 91. Read here. 

Article on the benefits of a sustainable diet and why we need a strong Zero Carbon Bill with quotes from Dr Alexandra Macmillan, OraTaiao Co-convenor. Read here.

Interview here with Co-convenor, Dr Alexandra Macmillan, on the need for well designed climate policy.

Interview with Co-convenor, Dr Alexandra Macmillan, about why healthcare workers are demanding stronger action on climate change. Read more here.

MEDIA RELEASE, 29 August 2019

This morning at Environment Select Committee hearings, five health sector groups representing more than 55,000 health workers, called for health and fairness to be at the heart of a strengthened Zero Carbon Bill.

“We support a Zero Carbon Bill to help us stay within 1.5 degrees of global warming to protect people’s wellbeing from the impacts of climate change. It also needs to be strengthened to take advantage of the huge opportunities of well-designed climate policy for better health and wellbeing. With well-designed climate policy we would expect to see substantial health gains,” says Dr Alexandra Macmillan, Co-convenor, OraTaiao: NZ Climate & Health Council.

Interview here with Dr Alexandra Macmillan about why health professionals strongly support the Zero Carbon Bill.

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT, 9 August 2019

The New Zealand Climate & Health Council and health promotion charity Doctors for Nutrition strongly support the new Sustainability and the Health Sector guidance announced last week as it will result in a much healthier population.

“People and the planet will both be healthier if we shift towards a plant-based diet, and cut back on meat and dairy, as recommended,” according to Dr Alex Macmillan, Co-convenor of OraTaiao: The NZ Climate and Health Council.

Climate Q&A: will we be less healthy because of climate change? Dr Alexandra Macmillan. The Conversation, 7 August 2019.

The overwhelmingly negative effects of climate change on health are a strong argument for urgent action to reduce our climate pollution. More here.