General election

CIEH pledge for environmental health: Building healthier futures together

Supporting environmental health ahead of the 2024 general election

We are spearheading a campaign to place environmental health at the forefront of the agenda for prospective parliamentary candidates. Environmental health professionals are dedicated to improving the condition of the places in which we live and work. They face critical challenges that demand immediate action.

Read our General election 2024: manifestos round up to see how the different parties plan to tackle environmental health-related issues and find out where their commitments align with our Manifesto for environmental health 2024.

Environmental health professionals - making a difference every day

Environmental health professionals perform vital roles that touch every aspect of our daily lives. Their dedication helps to ensure that our environment is safe, healthy and conducive to our well-being. Here are just a few ways in which they make a tangible difference:

• Housing standards: They play a crucial role in tackling poor housing conditions and thereby reducing ill health and saving lives.
• Food safety: Whether by inspecting local food businesses, ensuring quality control within organisations, or providing consultancy services to local businesses, they ensure that the food we consume is safe, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and upholding high standards of hygiene and safety.
• Supply chain integrity: Through meticulous inspections at our borders, they safeguard the integrity of our supply chain, ensuring that imported goods meet our rigorous health and safety standards.
• Workplace health and safety: They enforce health and safety regulations in workplaces, as well as supporting businesses improve their internal processes, thereby protecting employees from accidents and ill health.
• Air quality: By enforcing air quality regulations, they play a crucial role in combating pollution and protecting the air we breathe, contributing to a healthier environment.
• Disease control: They are pivotal in controlling infectious and communicable diseases. Their frontline role during the COVID-19 outbreak was instrumental in managing public health responses and mitigating the spread of the virus.

Our pledge for environmental health

We are asking prospective parliamentary candidates to pledge to:

1. Engage constructively with CIEH on vital environmental health issues listed in our manifesto
2. Elevate the profile of environmental health in parliament, supporting key concerns through questions and legislative amendments
3. Collaborate to establish an All-Party Parliamentary Group on environmental health, driving focused discussions and actions in parliament

By aligning themselves with this pledge, prospective parliamentary candidates can signal their support for the goals of environmental health, echoing our aspiration for an environment that is safer, cleaner and healthier for everyone.

We aim to foster an open dialogue and partnership on the broad spectrum of topics highlighted in the CIEH manifesto for environmental health. We want to promote a collaborative approach to understanding and addressing these critical issues.

We urge all prospective parliamentary candidates to stand with CIEH to promote and protect both our environment and our health, safeguarding our communities for generations to come.