Climate and health: MedTech Europe participates in European Commission consultation on Integrated Climate Resilience Framework

Posted on 05.03.2026

In February 2026, MedTech Europe responded to the European Commission public consultation on the upcoming Integrated Climate Resilience Framework calling for a holistic healthcare system response to pressures stemming from climate change. Smart investments, better co-ordination, consistent policy frameworks and improved collaboration will be key for building more sustainable, resilient healthcare systems.

The European Climate Risk Assessment identified 36 key climate risks in Europe that interact to result in fundamental system-wide challenges. If climate change, along with other risk factors, were not properly addressed, supply chains, pricing, economic and financial stability, fiscal sustainability and public health could be compromised more severely.

Responding to these challenges and in line with the Commission President’s Political Guidelines, the Commission is therefore preparing a new European integrated framework for climate resilience scheduled for adoption in Q4-2026.

In MedTech Europe’s view, the Integrated Framework should enable climate resilience and risk management by fostering collaboration and partnerships of all healthcare actors to unlock system change, while ensuring resilience, financial sustainability and continued access to care. Global carbon pricing, more renewable energy and energy efficiency should be promoted and tapping into the transformational synergies of the Green and Digital agendas also in the healthcare sector can increase overall system efficiencies.

Besides, we call for:

• Ensuring that legislation is consistent with sector-specific regulatory requirements set in the stringent medical technology sector-specific legislations, i.e., Regulations EU 2017/745 on Medical Devices and 2017/746 on In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices, and that any legislation enhances the sustainability performance of medical technologies from a life cycle perspective.
• Enacting realistic transition pathways that allow for sufficient time to transition for medical technology manufacturers, including their manufacturing supply chains, so that patients and practitioners can rely on uninterrupted access to medical technologies.
• Truly harmonising rules to reinforce the European internal market, the EU’s strongest asset and catalyst of both, a high level of environmental protection and a competitive medical technology industry in the EU.