Summary
The nexus between health and the environment has been underscored by crises such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis. With increased awareness of the interlinkages between policy areas comes a heightened recognition of the need for more coordinated policymaking at the EU and national level.
Calls for a more holistic approach have long been recognised, but the pandemic has further emphasized the importance of dismantling existing barriers in policymaking at all levels to improve the health status of people, animals, and the planet. Despite this recognition, questions remain in relation to the execution of a more holistic approach with the aim of yielding benefits for human, animal, and environmental health.
This Discussion Paper advocates for implementing a planetary health approach across all levels of governance to encourage transdisciplinary action. To achieve such an approach, the paper argues for the need to break down silos at the EU and national level, adopt a multi-level governance approach, establish common indicators to measure the planetary health approach, create a best practices platform, adopt planetary health for health systems, invest in education, communication, and research, and work with international partners.