This interview was first published in Impact Investing Magazin - www.impactinvestings.de
Interview with Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen:
From "Gesunde Erde - Gesunde Menschen" and "Enkelfähig" to Impact Investing!
Impact Investing Magazine:
Mr von Hirschhausen, you have become very well known for medical cabaret, but you go much further: in addition to medicine, you address positive psychology, social engagement, happiness, the climate crisis and social business: what is your overarching goal and how do you intend to achieve it?
Eckart von Hirschhausen:
People change through authentic encounters. For me, that was an encounter with Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee researcher. In the middle of the interview, she turned the roles around, looked at me with those wise, old and somewhat melancholy eyes and asked me this question: "If we humans constantly emphasise that we are the most intelligent species on this planet - why are we destroying our own home?"
I fell silent, swallowed and understood: This is the central question we all have to ask ourselves. This is the question of survival in the 21st century. And I want to do my bit to help us find better answers than before.
Impact Investing Magazine:
Your foundation "Gesunde Erde - Gesunde Menschen (GEGM)" is committed to communicating the connection between climate and health protection. Why are these two topics so important to you and what specific effects do environmental factors have on human health?
Eckart von Hirschhausen:
As a doctor, I am concerned with the question of how people can lead a good and healthy life. The climate crisis is the greatest risk to our health in the 21st century. Because we are not the crown of creation and stand above nature, but are part of it. If we realise this and - crucially - act accordingly, we still have a chance of turning the tide. The serious consequences of climate change and the extinction of species for our health are not a threat that lies in the future. We are already experiencing how heatwaves, droughts and dwindling habitats for animals and plants are having a negative impact on our health. If animals fall ill, they transmit these pathogens to us. The coronavirus pandemic has made this clear. For us in Europe, heat poses the greatest immediate danger: the climate crisis is like a sauna without a door. Not really relaxing in the long term. And not fun either.
Impact Investing Magazine:
Your foundation GEGM also aims to support the transformation of business, politics and society towards sustainability. Could you give some concrete examples of how your foundation is realising these goals?
Eckart von Hirschhausen:
We have a task of the century in front of us, for which we don't even have a decade to complete. That's why we're planting ideas, because they grow faster than trees. We are using lectures, workshops and publications to mobilise healthcare professionals to communicate more about the health consequences of the climate crisis. When they talk about the topic, it becomes clear that it is directly about us humans and our well-being. We are also talking to politicians, because the big levers are political. If we don't change the political framework conditions for energy production, transport, agriculture, the financial industry and the construction sector, you can use your bamboo toothbrush for a very long time and your teeth will be clean, but not the air.
With our high-profile campaigns, in which we repeatedly involve well-known faces and influencers to reach an audience of millions, and with our social media channels, we also want to persuade the silent majority to speak up and demand the implementation of the necessary measures to save our livelihoods. This is becoming increasingly important in a debate that is becoming more and more heated and riddled with misinformation. I am very pleased that I now have a whole team of experts from very different fields supporting me at the foundation, because: It's hard to save the world on a voluntary basis when others are destroying it full-time.
Impact Investing Magazine:
In your book "Mensch Erde" you write, "We don't have to save the climate - we have to save ourselves. For our health, the first thing we humans need is something to eat, drink and breathe - and tolerable outside temperatures"... how important are the SDGs (UN Sustainable Development Goals) for you in this context?
Eckart von Hirschhausen:
Very important! The SDGs and the concept of planetary health are based on the same idea and aim to achieve the same thing: In a globalised world that is intertwined in many ways, we can only be well if everything is in balance. A CO2 molecule doesn't care in which country the chimney it came from is located, and viruses don't care about national borders. In short: we can do it together - or not at all. That is why I am proud to be an ambassador for SDG 3 "Good Health and Well-being" for the Ministry of Development. The SDGs provide an important basis for international policy: all 193 member states of the United Nations are involved and the implementation of the goals is being reviewed.
This year we are taking stock of the SDGs at the halfway point, and the result is sobering: the global community is only on track for 12% of the targets. Things look better in Germany: The trend is positive for just under half of the targets, but there are some problem children: nitrogen pollution in the soil is far too high, as is the obesity rate among adults and final energy consumption in goods and passenger transport. So we have to make a real effort for the second half of the year! That's where we come in and keep pushing for Germany to lead the way in showing how much nicer and healthier it is to live in a more sustainable world.
