Abstract:Background: Climate change is increasingly recognized as one of the greatest threats to global health in the 21st century. While healthcare systems are both vulnerable to and significant contributors to climate change, the roles and responses from clinical specialty societies remains largely under-recognized. Understanding how these societies engage with climate action is critical to strengthening the health sector’s role in climate mitigation and adaptation. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the extent and nature of climate-related statements, declarations, and initiatives issued by international clinical specialty societies, with a focus on their roles in promoting climate mitigation and adaptation within healthcare. Materials and Methods: A rapid review was conducted to identify climate-related actions from major international specialty societies between January 2019 and December 2024. Using the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) classification, societies were systematically reviewed through their official websites. Identified materials were categorized by thematic focus (education, advocacy, research, clinical care, and operations) and by their alignment with mitigation and/or adaptation strategies. Results: The findings, summarized in structured tables and a chronological figure, reveal uneven but growing engagement from clinical specialties. While general practice and public health societies demonstrated strong advocacy, fewer concrete actions were observed among specialty fields. Some societies addressed mitigation through low-carbon healthcare initiatives, while others focused on adaptation, including health system resilience and climate-informed clinical guidance. Conclusions: Despite growing awareness, significant gaps remain in the integration of climate action into clinical practice across specialties. Stronger implementation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and integration of climate education into medical training are urgently needed. As the climate crisis intensifies, transforming climate action from a voluntary commitment into a professional obligation is essential to safeguarding human and planetary health.
Keywords: Climate Change and Planetary Health, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Sustainable Health Care
