The BMJ’s campaign for divestment from fossil fuels is aimed at health professionals and medical organisations, since divestment is one way of exerting influence on politicians and industry on behalf of our patients and the public. We seek your commitment and invite you to sign our online declaration of intent to divest from fossil fuels (below). We urge you to follow up your commitment by implementing divestment in your personal finances and in the medical organisations that you belong to.
We urge medical organisations to join us in taking a lead to create better health through divestment. We will allow medical organisations to record when they have successfully implemented divestment.
Often, individuals and organisations are motivated to divest but don’t know how. In collaboration with the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (which the BMA and BMJ help to fund) we offer guidance to help you successfully divest.
Please indicate your commitment to divesting from fossil fuels by signing the declaration, either on an individual basis as a health professional or on behalf of your medical or healthcare organisation.
You are also welcome to send a rapid response to our divestment editorial, or to email us at [email protected].
Reading list
1. Yamey G, Sridhar D, Abbasi K. The extricable links between health, wealth, and profits. BMJ2018;363:k4418. doi:10.1136/bmj.k4418. pmid:30348639
2. Law A, Duff D, Saunders P, Middleton J, McCoy D. Medical organisations must divest from fossil fuels. BMJ2018;363:k5163. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5163. pmid:30541749
3. Smith R. Actions that health professionals can take to counter the climate emergency and improve their health. BMJ Opinion, 8 November 2019. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/11/08/actions-that-health-professionals-can-take-to-counter-the-climate-emergency-and-improve-their-health/
The following medical organisations and health professionals are committed to divestment from fossil fuels:
Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of General Practitioners
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Faculty of Public Health
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Royal College of Emergency Medicine
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
The British Psychological Society
British Medical Association
American Medical Association
Canadian Medical Association
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Rachel Cottam, GP; CCG clinical lead, UK
Daniel Campion, medical doctor
Adele Wolujewicz, consultant in sexual health, UK
Blaise Genton, professor of tropical medicine, UK
Geraldine C. King, retired GP
Valérie D'Acremont, Switzerland
Philip Barber, neurologist, Canada
Emily Harrington, consultant psychiatrist
Nick Chamberlain-Kent, XR rebel and health professional
Andrew Cole, BMA member, UK
Sean Brennan, foundation year one doctor, UK
Éva Decotte, GP
Hilary Lavender, retired GP
Fernando Cavalcanti, adjunct professor, Brazil
Benjamin Rusholme, GP, UK
Monty Matson, medical student
Anthony Macklon, retired consultant physician
Suhailah Ali, PhD student, Australia
Giovanni Bearzi, president, Dolphin Biology and Conservation, Italy
Catie Nagel, GP partner
Sarah Benn, GP, UK
Margaret Jackson, GP partner, UK
Arnold Mayes, retired GP, UK
Caroline Newman, family doctor
Gili Adler Nevo, Canada
Kim-Chi Tran, physician
Simon Challand, NHS consultant, UK
Alison Hallett, doctor, UK
David Jones, retired associate specialist in haematology
Silvana, teacher
Anne-Marie Chilton, NHS consultant and associate clinical professor, UK
Jo Hindley, midwife
Henrik Pelling, child psychiatrist
Patrick Hart, GP
Shelagh King, gynaecologist
Elliot Clissold, foundation doctor, UK
Anna Jones, public health doctor, UK
Hannah Leask, finance and economics student working with investments
Jennet E. Razo, professor, Philippines
Sharmella Summan, junior doctor
Ashley McClure, primary care physician, USA
Paul Kinnersley, emeritus professor, UK
Dieter Lehmkuhl, retired psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Germany
Sue Atkinson, public health professional, UK
Fatimah Saehrendt, paediatrician and policy maker, Switzerland