Shaping European Research

Environmental health challenges like climate change and urban pollution demand urgent, coordinated action supported by robust scientific evidence. ISGlobal researchers contributed to the EU-funded Health and Environment Research Agenda (HERA) project, which adopted a transdisciplinary approach engaging a wide range of stakeholders to identify research needs and priorities relevant to Europe’s health and environmental challenges. HERA’s 2020-2030 agenda has influenced European Commission's (EC) funding calls, fostered dialogue among normally disconnected stakeholders, and led to the creation of SPHERA, a think tank that works to strengthen the science-policy interface at the intersection of climate change, environment and health.

What is the problem?

Citizens across the EU and the world are deeply concerned about climate change and the deteriorating environment, and their effects on both human and ecosystem health. Vulnerable populations—such as children, the elderly, and low-income communities—are disproportionately affected by these environmental stressors, emphasising the need for targeted and inclusive action. 

While the political agenda has sought to address these issues with initiatives like the European Commission’s Green Deal in 2019, the successful adoption of adaptive and preventive measures hinges on the support of robust scientific evidence. Therefore, it became crucial to identify the type of research needed to drive evidence-based policy changes on the environment and health. 

What did our researchers do?

Bring together a diverse group of stakeholders

The Health and Environment Research Agenda for Europe (HERA) project, led by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), was launched in January 2019 with European funding to identify the most pressing research needs in health and the environment for the 2020-2030 decade. ISGlobal’s Manolis Kogevinas served as coordinator, playing a pivotal role in its development, alongside ISGlobal colleagues Cristina O'Callaghan and Isabelle Thierry-Chef, who also participated in the project. The consortium included 24 partners from 15 countries, including research centres, an international organisation, and a European NGO. 

Hera focused on three critical areas: climate and health resilience, pollution reduction, and biodiversity protection, incorporating city and community perspectives to support healthy and sustainable societies. 

The research agenda, through structured surveys among several hundred scientists and policymakers, aims to identify research gaps and policy needs. Workshops, both online and in-person, engaged hundreds of stakeholders, from researchers to patient organisations, municipalities, and trade unions, to refine and validate priorities.

Present a research agenda

In March 2022, Kogevinas and the HERA team presented the final research agenda in Paris to 130 participants, including scientists, policymakers and national health organisations. The agenda identified six thematic research goals: 1) reduce the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on health and environment, 2) promote healthy lives in cities and communities, 3) eliminate harmful chemical exposures, 4) improve health impact assessment and implementation research, 5) develop infrastructures, technologies and human resources and 6) promote research on transformational change towards sustainability. Each goal includes specific research recommendations and emphasises breaking down silos for more holistic solutions.

The agenda was further disseminated through collaborations with the WHO Bonn School on Environment and Health, a four-week online course offered in 2021, and a series of webinars on planetary health organised by ISGlobal, extending the agenda’s reach.

What changes has our work contributed to?

Achieved consensus on Europe's research and policy needs  

The HERA project identified critical research and policy needs for Europe, providing a roadmap to strengthen evidence for cross-cutting policies on environment, health, and society. As Manolis Kogevinas noted, “By including diverse perspectives, HERA created a unique opportunity in Europe to build consensus around priorities and strengthen research with direct societal impact.” Recommendations included developing new methods for health impact assessments and harmonised approaches for evaluating environmental risks, supporting initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

Influenced research and funding priorities

HERA’s findings have influenced European research priorities. The HERA Agenda guided European Commission (EC) calls for funding in 2023, such as those on indoor environment or planetary health. Its impact extends beyond the EC: in the Netherlands, the agenda informed the under preparation, Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences’ planetary health advice (Planetary Health - KNAW), and research centres, including ISGlobal, have used it to realign research priorities.

Built a diverse European stakeholder community

HERA united researchers, policymakers, municipalities, trade unions, patient organisations, NGOs and public health institutions across Europe that typically operate independently. This inclusive, multisectoral process ensured that the research priorities identified were scientifically robust and directly relevant to policymakers and affected communities. 

HERA created a platform for stakeholders to share insights on policy needs and real-world challenges, bridging the gap between research and actionable policy.

Established a new environmental health think tank for Europe

Although HERA concluded in 2022, its legacy lives on through the Single Planet Health Environment Research Agenda (SPHERA), focusing on the “three 3Cs” of climate, cities and chemicals. The SPHERA consortium, composed of leading EU research institutions in environment, climate change, economics, social science and health, regularly updates the agenda, identifies emerging issues, and advocates for new funding opportunities. It has expanded its reach to the WHO European Region, encompassing 53 Member States and collaborates with initiatives such as the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the European Environment and Health Process, and the United Nations Environment Programme. 

SPHERA also engages in advocacy: it publicly denounced the lack of European funding for climate-health research in Horizon Europe 2025 calls and, in May 2025, issued a declaration defending science against political suppression by the Trump administration. A follow-up webinar attracted 200 participants worldwide, discussing strategies to maintain scientific integrity amid political interference.

LINKS AND REFERENCES

• AGENDA | EU RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE & HEALTH 2021-2030
• PUBLICATION | Halonen, J. I., Erhola, M., Furman, E., et al. (2021). A call for urgent action to safeguard our planet and our health in line with the Helsinki Declaration. Environmental Research, 193, 110600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110600
• PUBLICATION | Huss, A., Peters, A., Zhao, T., Barouki, R., Kogevinas, M., Vermeulen, R., & Matthies-Wiesler, F. (2022). Setting the European environment and health research agenda –under-researched areas and solution-oriented research. Environment International, 163, 107202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107202
• PUBLICATION | Drakvik, E., Kogevinas, M., Bergman, Å., et al. (2022). Priorities for research on environment, climate and Health, a European perspective, Environmental Health, 21(1). doi:10.1186/s12940-022-00848-w. 
• WEBSITE | SPHERA