Humanity, and indeed all of life on Earth, is at a crossroads. Over the past several decades, the scale of human impacts on Earth's natural systems has increased exponentially to the point where it exceeds our planet's capacity to absorb our wastes or provide the resources we are using. The result is a vast and accelerating transformation and degradation of nature.1 This includes not only global climate change but also global scale pollution of air, water, and soil; degradation of our planet's forests, rivers, coastal, and marine systems; and the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth.
The core insight of planetary health is that these disruptions and degradations of natural systems are a clear and urgent threat not only to the web of life but to humanity itself. The scale of our own environmental impacts is threatening our nutrition and mental health, increasing exposure to infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases, and driving population displacement and conflict.2 On our current trajectory, we can no longer safeguard human health and wellbeing.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point within each of our lifetimes and must serve as a moment of transition for humanity. To protect human health and all of life on Earth, we will need to, and can, effect urgent, deep, structural changes in how we live. This great transition demands a rapid shift in how we produce and consume food, energy, and manufactured goods; requires rethinking the way we design and live in the world's cities; and insists we heal our relationship with nature and to each other. Such a paradigm shift requires participation of every sector, every community, and every individual.
The São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health is a global call to action from the planetary health community charting a path forward to support a more equitable and resilient post-pandemic world. The Declaration's cross-cutting recommendations were drafted during the 2021 Planetary Health Annual Meeting and Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, concluding with a global consultation of nearly 350 participants from more than 70 countries supported by the United Nations Development Programme.
We know what needs to change to safeguard the health of the planet and people for future generations. The São Paulo Declaration urges us to act now.
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Acknowledgments
The São Paulo Declaration including a list of over 250 organization signatories from more than 47 countries is available in the appendix. The Declaration is available in multiple languages via the official website.
We declare no competing interests. We acknowledge and thank the São Paulo Declaration organising team, including Arielle Blacklow, Enrique Falceto De Barros, Nicole De Paula, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Carlos Faerron, Mikayla Holzwarth, Courtney Howard, Rebeca Leite Camarotto, Nicole Redvers, Sarah Finnie Robinson, Marie Studer, Ana Paula Tavares Magalhães Tacconi, Daniela Vianna, Joanna Wagner, and Max Zimberg.
Supplementary Material
References
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