An open letter signed by health leaders calls on UK prime minister Rishi Sunak to withdraw the decision to approve new licences for oil and gas in the North Sea
Dear prime minister,
We write to you as an alliance of health leaders who are deeply concerned about the impact that climate change and nature loss are having on human health, and to urge you to withdraw the decision to issue new licences for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Health workers are already seeing the consequences of ill health caused by high temperatures, extreme weather, and pollution. For example, more than 3000 excess deaths were recorded in England and Wales during the heatwaves between June and August 2022,1 and without adequate action, heat related deaths are expected to …