In this lecture, Professor Stephen Morton explores some of the threats to the world’s planetary boundaries, including climate change and loss of biodiversity, and the implications for current and future population health. He also discusses what action we can take to mitigate or adapt to these threats, how some of these actions can have important health and social co-benefits, and discuss the opportunities and threats in world rocked by COVID-19.

Speaker Biography

Stephen is a public health doctor who worked in a variety of posts in the UK until stepping down from clinical practice in 2017. He worked for many years as a Director of Public Heath in East Lancashire before becoming Unit Director in Cumbria and Lancashire for the Health Protection Agency. 

He moved to Yorkshire and Humber initially as Regional Director for Health Protection and later as Centre Director for Public heath England before taking on a national role as Director of Sustainability and Public Health. 

He has also worked as a temporary advisor for the World Health Organisation, currently supporting the European Regional Office on tools to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He was very pleased, in March 2019, to be appointed as a visiting professor in the Healthy and Sustainable Settings Unit at the University of Central Lancashire. 

Stephen has worked in general public health, health protection, health improvement, promoting sustainability and tackling health inequalities. He has established and led successful public health teams in Public Health England. 

He has contributed effectively to corporate health strategy, interagency working and effective delivery of health and related services. He has particular experience (at regional, national and international level) on social regeneration, sustainable development and environmental improvement. He has published on a range of subjects including housing, transport, environmental hazards, infectious disease and most recently on the challenges and opportunities in the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.