About us

Dorothea Baltruks, Director CPHP

„A societal debate on how health and wellbeing can be created within planetary boundaries and what the health system should do and should not do to achieve this, is urgently needed but so far lacking.“

Nicole Stauf, Research Associate

„Our health is closely linked to the health of the planet. To protect both, we need all stakeholders to work together — across sectors, administrative levels and national borders.“

Lena Tischler, Project and event management

„The multidimensional crises of our time require new approaches. To accelerate the long-overdue socio-ecological transformation, we need planetary health as a vision for the future across all policy areas, rather than political silo thinking.“

Miriam Meschede, Research Associate

“Promoting human health means protecting the health of our planet. Environmental protection and health promotion must be consistently considered in all policy areas in order to bring about urgent changes for planetary health.”

Marie Jung, Research Associate

“If we continue to neglect the health of our planet, we put our own health and well-being at risk. The scientific findings of the past decades can no longer be ignored – it is time to redirect resources toward measures that protect and promote our health.”

Stefan Kohlwes, Advisor Business Development and Fundraising

„The effects of climate change and environmental stress on our health are clear. To drive the transformative shift toward planetary health, we need strong political will and financial resources to implement the many solutions already within our reach.”

Dr. phil. Teresa Hollerbach, Head of Communications and Media Relations

„Effective communication is key to achieving health within planetary boundaries. Scientific insights must be translated in ways that meaningfully influence political decision-making and action.“

The Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHP) was established by the German Climate and Health Alliance (KLUG) in late 2021. Our mission: to bring planetary health into political decision-making in an evidence-based, interdisciplinary, and practical manner. The devastating consequences of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and global pollution—exacerbated by social inequality—are well documented by science. The findings are available. What is lacking is decisive political action.

This requires strategies that reflect the urgency of socio-ecological transformation and effectively protect and strengthen the health of current and future generations within planetary boundaries. Our work provides a sound basis for decision-making in politics, administration, and healthcare at the federal, state, and local levels. We show how equitable, effective, and affordable policies for health and sustainability can be developed together.

Together with foundations, ministries, health insurance companies, and other partners, we develop evidence-based strategies that have an impact—both in practice and in the political arena. Our interdisciplinary team of political, social, and health scientists—many with medical or health backgrounds—make complex research understandable and incorporate it into political processes and public debates in an evidence-based and solution-oriented manner.

What does that mean exactly?

We…

write concise policy briefs with concrete recommendations for political action,

develop application-oriented studies and evidence syntheses on current challenges,

regularly organize events and dialogue formats, e.g. our transformative webinar series Planetary Health Dialogues, to bring together actors from politics, science, and practice,

develop target group-specific communication formats to effectively convey our findings to policymakers, experts, and health and care professionals,

support political processes with expertise and strategic advice,

advocate for health policies that consistently consider and integrate ecological and social contexts,

work in partnership with actors from politics, science, healthcare, and civil society to jointly develop viable options for action,

think and work across sectors in the field of health—e.g., at the interfaces of environmental, labor, climate, and social policy – also at the European and international levels.

We contribute our knowledge and networks to identify ways in which planetary health policy can be translated into concrete, effective transformation pathways at all levels – from local to international.

Together, we can pave the way to a healthy and sustainable society. Feel free to contact us—we welcome collaborations, questions, and suggestions.