By Sara Bertucci, Policy Manager
World Environment Day is a key moment to reflect on the health of our communities and our planet. It is also a day to recommit to action advancing both environmental protection and public health. Acting on pollution is a case in point. The European Union’s commitments in this area are outlined in the Zero Pollution Plan, intended to reduce pollution’s harm on people and ecosystems. Its 2030 targets reflect this dual focus, aiming to halve premature deaths from air pollution, slash noise and chemical exposure, and curb pollutants from agriculture and industry.
Plastic fantastic?
This year, plastic pollution rightly takes centre stage on World Environment Day. The proliferation of plastics in our oceans, soils, and even our bodies is exemplary of the web of commercial, political, and environmental determinants that shape health outcomes. The drivers of plastic pollution cut across borders and sectors, including petrochemical production, global trade, and waste management. Plastic production, use, and waste contaminate ecosystems all the way to our food, water, and the air we breathe, and contribute to a host of health issues.
Two Zero Pollution targets aim at reducing the presence of plastic in our environment. Yet, according to the EU’s most recent monitoring and outlook report, we are not on track to deliver on the one related to microplastics. This raises significant public health concerns: emerging evidence continues to link microplastic exposure to a range of potential health risks, from respiratory and digestive issues to possible immune and endocrine impacts. As science advances, the need for upholding the precautionary principle – taking proactive steps to prevent potential harm, even when there’s uncertainty about the risks – and fostering action on pollution grows stronger.
Plastic pollution relates to other harmful forms of pollution targeted in the . Plastic particles contaminate our air, while the industrial emissions from plastic production contribute to air pollution. Chemicals from plastics leach into waterways, and microplastics disrupt soil ecosystems. Even noise pollution intersects with plastic: tyre abrasion is a major source of microplastics, air pollution, and traffic noise, which calls for integrated solutions in the transport sector.
Health cannot wait
It is clear that Europe must step up, accelerating efforts to reduce environmental threats as action on noise, nutrient and waste pollution are also lagging. Even where progress to meet current targets is reportedly on track, the health impacts remain substantial. This is especially true for air pollution, the leading environmental threat to health in the region – impacting cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems across the life span, increasing cancer risk, and costing hundreds of billions to health and social systems across the block. Given this reality, the urgency of achieving a pollution-free environment cannot be overstated.
This World Environment Day, we are reaffirming the need to protect public health by slashing all forms of pollution. Tackling the health impacts of pollution has long been a priority for EPHA, that remains central to our mission. Many of our members and partners in the public health field share this commitment: that is why we call on EU decisionmakers to respond to these concerns, with the urgency and leadership this reality demands. In this edition, we highlight some key work and perspectives from our community: from calls for robust Zero Pollution funding in the next EU budget, to tackling plastic use in healthcare, confronting PFAS contamination to reduce cancer risk, and raising awareness on the growing evidence regarding air pollution’s neurological impacts. Ensuring full implementation and enforcement of EU environmental legislation, and reaffirming a clear commitment to protect everyone in the EU from preventable environmental harms, is paramount.