Various health and environmental groups are urging President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to recognize climate change as a threat to public health.

In a recent forum attended by representatives from the Climate Change Commission (CCC), Philippine Heart Center, the Philippine College of Physicians and civil society groups, the Duterte admin was advised to come up with a health strategy that will help address climate change and its effect to human health.

The groups also expressed support for the use of renewable energy sources and giving support to the climate change advocacy.

“We appeal to the administration of President Duterte to heed our call by upholding laws that protect both the environment and people’s health, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and supporting climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable hospitals and health systems,” Health Care Without Harm-Asia director Ramon San Pascual said.

San Pascual said the climate change issue is also one of social justice, since it is the poor who are most affected by its impacts, and are the ones who do not always have access to the health care they need.

Previously, the International Energy Agency released the findings of their study, wherein over 6.5 million deaths annually occurred due to air pollution, where the energy industry is the largest contributor due to the large emissions of carbon dioxide. Many cities in developing countries who monitor air quality do not meet the basic standards on air quality.