Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA–Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future

Recent extreme weather events and natural disasters in Australia, such as the 2019– 2020 Black Summer bushfires and catastrophic floods throughout 2021– 2022, have resulted in considerable negative impacts for community and individual health and wellbeing. As Australia increasingly faces devastating weather events and natural disasters associated with climate change, strong political engagement by governments is necessary to implement effective policies that address the health impacts of climate change. However, whereas countries around the world are taking action to mitigate climate change, Australia lags, ranking 59/64 in the Climate Change Performance Index.1 Australia’s political engagement on health and climate change is particularly poor. An international comparison of country engagement on climate and health found that Australia’s engagement with the health impacts of climate change relates primarily to disaster response, and impacts in Pacific Island nations — not in its own communities.2 Additionally, Australia makes no reference to health in its contribution pledge to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and to date is one of few countries lacking a national health and climate change strategy.3 However, there are signs of improvement, with climate change featuring in the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021– 2030, and the new federal government announcing the development of a National Health and Climate Strategy.4,5 Many health bodies have been active on this issue and continue to lobby successive governments about impacts of climate change on health.6,7