The Central Ethics Committee at the German Medical Association (ZEKO) has published a statement on “Planetary Health and Medical Responsibility”. In it, she emphasizes the growing confrontation of doctors with the health consequences of ecological crises, especially climate change. Extreme heat, particulate matter pollution and other environmental influences endanger human health and make the protection of natural resources a key health protection.

Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, explained that health and well-being depend largely on the preservation of ecosystems. Their protection is therefore a medical duty. The statement sheds light on a wide range of fields of action and provides important impetus for a transformation towards a sustainable healthcare system.

The concept of “Planetary Health” describes the interactions between human health and the surrounding ecosystems. With its statement, ZEKO is not only aimed at the medical profession, but also at medical self-administration and political decision-makers, who play a key role in implementation.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Eva Winkler, Chairwoman of ZEKO, emphasized that despite the existing awareness of the problem, the potential for action in the medical profession has not yet been exhausted. She called for perseverance and determination in action to promote planetary health – in individual action, at the institutional and political levels. The medical profession has special knowledge, a high level of social trust and corresponding responsibility.

The statement underlines the central responsibility of doctors to help shape an environmentally conscious health care system. This includes promoting initiatives for green hospitals and practices with strategic and financial support. In patient contact, climate-sensitive health advice and “green decision-making” are to include ecological sustainability in decisions.

ZEKO also encourages a social debate on whether sustainability aspects should be more firmly anchored in the legal framework of health care. Research is called upon to create evidence-based foundations for climate-sensitive decisions and to act in a more environmentally friendly way.

The statement was presented in Berlin on 13 February 2026 and is available for download here.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.