New York, NY – The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced its commitment to divest from fossil fuels, and address the organization’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, in an exciting win for the First, Do No Harm healthcare divestment campaign and global fossil fuel divestment movement worldwide.

In response to this win, Don Lieber, Campaign Director of FDNH and a veteran surgical technologist and nursing unit staff at a major NYC cancer institution, said: 

“The National Academy of Medicine committing to divest from fossil fuels affirms its role as one of the world’s most respected, preeminent medical organizations. This sends ripples throughout the global health sector with a clear message to address health impacts of climate chaos at the root: coal, oil, and gas. This victory for global health and justice wouldn’t have been possible without thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide demanding our health institutions First, Do No Harm. 

“Along with thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide, we applaud NAM President Victor J. Dzau, MD and the entire Governing Council who understand: we cannot ‘decarbonize’ the health sector while continuing to invest billions in fossil fuels. We look forward to working with NAM to follow-through on these commitments and move at the pace and scale the climate crisis requires.” 

In January 2024, NAM is expected to release its 2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan, where organizers expect the Academy to call for U.S. sector-wide fossil fuel divestment.

An April 2023 report found that in the US, private, corporate-run health systems invest an estimated $10 billion in fossil fuel holdings. 

NAM’s annual meeting this past weekend focused on women’s health, and this announcement is a strong response to addressing the disproportionate global harm to women and maternal health from fossil fuels. 

This win comes exactly one year after the First, Do No Harm campaign sent 75,000+ letters to the National Academy of Medicine, along with personal, open letters directly to NAM Steering Committee members, urging adoption of fossil fuel divestment as organizational policy within their existing climate action framework for the sector.  

According to the Global Divestment Database, nearly 1600 institutions representing more than $40 trillion in assets have committed to divest from fossil fuels, and now NAM can be proudly part of the list alongside the American Medical Organization, the Canadian Medical Association, the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners, and the British Medical Association.

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The First, Do No Harm campaign, part of the Climate Safe Pensions Network, calls for fossil fuel divestment in the health sector as a global health and justice imperative.  The campaign is led, and supported, by healthcare professionals.