Eco‑Responsible Action among Health Care Professionals: Essential Ethical Principles for Practice

Background

Climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss increasingly threaten population health and exacerbate health inequities. Health care professionals are increasingly called upon to adopt eco‑responsible practices; however, the ethical foundations guiding such actions remain sparse across disciplines. Clarifying these foundations is essential to support coherent and effective health‑related interventions. This study aimed to identify the core ethical principles underpinning eco‑responsible action among health care professionals.

Methods

A critical rapid review of 31 peer‑reviewed articles published between 2008 and 2025 was conducted. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed to identify convergent ethical principles related to eco‑responsible action.

Results

Six recurring ethical principles emerged: (1) responsibility toward ecosystems, human and animal health, and future generations; (2) environmental justice and social equity; (3) the precautionary and preventive principle; (4) integrity and coherence between scientific knowledge, professional values, and practice; (5) interdisciplinary and systems‑based collaboration; and (6) professional reflexivity.

Conclusions

Responsibility emerges as a central ethical requirement of contemporary health care practice. Bringing these ethical principles to the core of professional practice aligns directly with prevention and health promotion mandates that all health care professionals are expected to implement to strengthen population health outcomes.

Key messages

• Eco‑responsible action is a core ethical principle for health care professionals, closely aligned with prevention and health promotion.

• Eco‑responsible practice is grounded in six principles: responsibility, justice, precaution, integrity, collaboration, and reflexivity guiding health care professional action.