Fiona Godlee steps down from ECIU Advisory Board

Dr Godlee said: “I’m stepping down from the ECIU Advisory Board with great regret. Climate change is a health issue of growing consequence, and it’s also becoming clear that the low-carbon transition will bring important co-benefits to the health of the nation – so I am certainly not stepping away from the issues.

“However, the increasing demands of editing a major medical journal mean that I have to rationalise my time. I hope to continue being active on this vital issue and to support ECIU's activities wherever possible, and I wish them all the best in the future.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently, at its first-ever global conference on health and climate, called for stronger action on climate-related health risks. Writing in the BMJ, Dr Godlee, who chaired the conference, argued that the WHO should declare climate change a public health emergency.

Richard Black, Director of ECIU, said: “We’re very sorry that Dr Godlee has had to stop down from our Advisory Board, but fully understand her reasons for doing so.

“It has been a privilege to have such a prominent member of the British medical community on our board, and her advice has been invaluable.

“The links between climate change and health are becoming ever more important, and this is a field that we’re aiming to explore in the future. We wish Fiona all the best, and thank her for all she has done for ECIU and for the wider issue."