Our Policy Program
Stimulating the transformational change necessary for achieving Planetary Health requires policies, including laws and regulation, across all scales and sectors that optimize human health and well-being while minimizing humanity’s ecological footprint.
Our Goal
To develop a field of Planetary Health policy and law while advancing new policies, from local to global, informed by Planetary Health principles and approaches.
Policy Activities
Building Planetary Health into International Governance
JHIPH has been at the forefront of promoting Planetary Health law within intergovernmental organizations, building connections and exploring potential collaborations. Over the past year, our faculty has engaged in discussions with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on integrating human rights frameworks into Planetary Health scholarship and practice, particularly regarding the right to a healthy environment. Our faculty also met with the World Health Organization to discuss the incorporation of health into global climate negotiations and, as a representative of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, attended negotiations advocating for the inclusion of Planetary Health in a new international treaty aimed at addressing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement
Alexandra Phelan discussed the historic adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in an interview with NPR.
Read the ArticlePublication on Planetary Health & Law
International law and global governance frameworks have been slow to acknowledge the deep interconnection between environmental and human health. In their article “Environmental Health: Towards Synthesis in Global Law and Governance,” published in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Alexandra Phelan, along with co-authors Stefania Negri and Marlies Hesselman, explores how Planetary Health approaches can help integrate environmental and global health law.
Collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme
April 2025, JHIPH finalized a Memorandum of Understanding with UNDP. This agreement, signed by the Provost, established a framework for cooperation between the parties, particularly in terms of sharing research and policy developments on Planetary Health, mainstreaming and amplifying Planetary Health approaches in policy and practice, hosting joint convenings, and publishing work in the field. Through this collaboration, JHIPH and UNDP aim to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, developing a plan of action to align and coordinate efforts in achieving shared goals for putting Planetary Health into practice.
Collaboration with Georgetown University O’Neill Institute
JHIPH and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University are collaborating in the emerging field of Planetary Health law, governance, and policy. This partnership leverages the O’Neill Institute’s pioneering expertise in global health law, combining it with JHU’s specialized knowledge in Planetary Health law and policy. Together, we aim to advance the field, starting with a law review article and associated Lancet commentary that defines Planetary Health Law and explores its implications for law, governance, and policy in addressing interconnected human health and global environmental challenges.
Planetary Health Law, Governance, and Policy Convening
Pathways for Planetary Health Law and Governance, hosted at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, brought together individuals across JHU with interests at the intersection of law, policy, governance, and Planetary Health, engaging all levels of policy expertise—from attendees working in advocacy and implementation at the local community level to global governance. This gathering highlighted JHU’s diverse expertise and capacity, providing valuable insights in identifying priority areas for future projects and informing JHIPH’s Strategic Plan.
View global Planetary Health resources on Governance and Policy
Browse the Planetary Health Alliance’s collection of research articles, tools, videos, and other Planetary Health resources related to governance and policy.
VisIT PHAFaculty Director
 Alexandra Phelan |