Ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) conducted an online survey to assess the awareness, knowledge, actions, and policy perspectives of academic societies, professional associations, and industry organizations in Japan’s healthcare sector on climate change and health.

The survey was conducted from October 3 to 28, 2025. We received responses from 169 organizations, of which 152 were valid (118 academic societies, 4 professional associations, and 30 industry organizations). Most responses came from organization presidents (58.6%), indicating that the responses represented official organizational views.

Key Survey Findings

1. Awareness

1.1. Awareness of Climate Change and Health Impacts (5-point scale)

Nearly all academic societies, professional associations, and industry organizations responded affirmatively (“strongly agree” or “somewhat agree”) to the statements that climate change is occurring and that it affects people’s health. This indicates a broad consensus on the issue.

1.2. Awareness of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from the Healthcare Sector (5-point scale)

Regarding the extent to which GHG emissions from the healthcare sector contribute to climate change, fewer than half of academic societies answered “contribute significantly” or “contribute somewhat,” while two-thirds of industry organizations responded affirmatively. This suggests that academic societies may be underestimating the sector’s contribution to climate change.

1.3. Perception of the Role of Healthcare Organizations (5-point scale)

When asked whether healthcare organizations have a role to play in supporting patients and local residents in the context of climate change, 73.3% of industry organizations and approximately 57.7% of academic societies agreed. Among academic societies, 25.0% answered “neither agree nor disagree,” while 16.9% expressed disagreement. Of the four professional associations, three (75.0%) agreed, and one (25.0%) somewhat disagreed — indicating variation across organizational categories.

2. Knowledge

2.1. Knowledge of Domestic and International Trends on Climate Change and Health (4-point scale)

With regard to literature in international medical journals, discussions at COP, and the Ministry of the Environment’s climate change assessment reports, 56.7% of industry organizations responded that they were “very familiar” or “somewhat familiar.” Among academic societies, only about 40% gave the same response. Over half of academic societies responded “not very familiar” or “not familiar,” indicating a knowledge gap. Among professional associations, two were “not very familiar,” one was “somewhat familiar,” and one was “very familiar.”

2.2. Knowledge of Specific Adaptation and Mitigation Measures (4-point scale)

For adaptation measures, approximately 60% of academic societies and industry organizations answered “not very familiar” or “not familiar,” suggesting limited knowledge. Only around 32.2% of academic societies and 36.7% of industry organizations answered “somewhat familiar” or better, and very few answered “very familiar.” In contrast, three of the four professional associations (75.0%) reported being “somewhat familiar.” Knowledge of mitigation measures was even lower across all categories compared to adaptation measures.

3. Actions

3.1. Provision of Lifelong Education and Public Awareness (3-point scale)

Regarding the provision of lifelong learning opportunities for members, the most common response across all categories was “not provided and not under consideration” (academic societies 90.7%, industry organizations 69.0%, professional associations 75.0%). Only around 3% of academic societies and industry organizations reported offering such education, and none of the professional associations did. The proportion of organizations “preparing or considering” such initiatives was highest among industry organizations (27.6%) and lowest among academic societies (5.9%).

3.2. Countermeasures for Environmental Issues and Climate Change (3-point scale)

More than 90% of academic societies reported that they had not formulated or prepared countermeasures for environmental issues or climate change. In contrast, about 60% of industry organizations had not taken such steps. Among industry organizations, 13.8% reported having “formulated and published” measures for environmental issues, and 13.3% for climate change — showing more progress than academic societies.

3.3. Measures Against Biodiversity Loss (3-point scale)

In all categories — academic societies, professional associations, and industry organizations — the most frequent response was “not formulated/published and not under consideration,” highlighting the lack of progress in this area. However, approximately one-quarter of professional associations (25.0%) and industry organizations (23.3%) reported being in the “preparation/consideration” stage. One industry organization (3.4%) had already “formulated and published” measures.

3.4. Implementation of Online Meetings (4-point scale)

Among academic societies, 60.2% had conducted online meetings (OMs) not specifically aimed at reducing carbon footprint (CF), while only 13.6% had done so for CF reduction. Additionally, 20.3% had not held OMs, and 5.9% responded “don’t know.” In industry organizations, 37.9% had held OMs not for CF purposes, 17.2% had held them for CF purposes, and 37.9% had not. One professional association each had held OMs for CF and non-CF purposes, while one (25.0%) had not held any.

4. Policy Perspectives

4.1. Expanding Investment in Health for Climate Change (3-point scale)

Regarding the appropriateness of advocating for increased investment in the healthcare sector in response to climate change and health, 58.5% of academic societies answered “appropriate.” Meanwhile, 36.4% answered “don’t know,” indicating some hesitation. Only 5.1% considered it “inappropriate.” Among industry organizations, 60.0% considered it “appropriate,” and 40.0% “don’t know”; none responded negatively. All professional associations answered “appropriate.” Similar trends were observed regarding recommendations for strengthening climate action.

4.2. Policy Advocacy for Strengthening Climate Measures (3-point scale)

On the need for advocating government and stakeholder action to strengthen climate change countermeasures, a majority of each group agreed (academic societies 61.9%, professional associations 75.0%, industry organizations 70.0%). However, about one-third of academic societies (34.7%) and industry organizations (30.0%) responded “neither agree nor disagree,” indicating that while the importance of climate action is recognized, some organizations remain cautious about taking a formal stance or getting directly involved.

5. Other Issues and Innovative Approaches

5.1. Other Issues and Efforts (Free-text Responses)

The following four issues were identified as challenges: Lack of awareness-raising and educational efforts, the need to understand and organize knowledge and evidence, Inadequate organizational structures and resources, and Insufficient support in terms of practical and policy measures. Reported creative approaches included: providing research grants related to CO₂ emission reduction; sharing knowledge among members and at academic conferences; developing practical tools such as guidelines and disaster response manuals; and promoting deeper discussions within academic societies, including soliciting ideas from members. Many comments stated that, while the importance of climate change was recognized, specific initiatives were still lacking. This indicates a clear gap between awareness and concrete action.

5.2. Support Requested from Government and Industry (Free-text Responses)

Requests to the government included: economic support for CO₂ emission reduction and capital investments; public information dissemination and training of specialized personnel; sharing of best practices; and promotion of research on climate change and health. Requests to the industry sector included: expansion of awareness and education efforts incorporated into corporate identity; innovation support such as developing and providing affordable alternatives to disposable products and low-carbon materials; greening the medical system through improved medical materials, packaging, and resource circulation; generation of evidence and international collaboration; and promotion of preventive measures.

[Survey Overview]

• Period: October 3-28, 2025
• Target Groups: Academic societies in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy; professional associations; and industry organizations (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, wholesalers)
• Valid Responses: 152 organizations
  
  

This is the first comprehensive national survey in Japan that assessed the current landscape of awareness, knowledge, actions, and policy perspectives on climate change and health across the healthcare sector. It underscores the potential roles and responsibilities of healthcare organizations in responding to climate change, and highlights the need to reflect these findings in future policy development and frontline implementation.