Green is the new purple

No, it’s not a mistake. Epilepsy Society really has turned green and for good reason.

We feel passionately that human health should be higher on the climate change agenda. So as world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26, we are taking the bold decision to turn our much-loved purple branding green.

We know that the sudden change will jar. We hope it will stop people in their tracks. And we hope it will draw attention to an overlooked consequence of climate change. Our health.

The new green look is for two weeks only and it doesn’t mean we are abandoning epilepsy. On the contrary.

Evidence is already suggesting a link between increases in global temperatures and some aspects of neurological conditions, including epilepsy.

People with some severe epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome have reported an increase in seizures during the unusually hot summers of recent years. And in our survey of more than 1,000 people with epilepsy, 62 per cent of those whose seizures were uncontrolled, said that they saw an increase in seizure frequency or severity.

Which is why we are taking a stand on behalf of all the people we support. We are nailing our colours to the mast.

Our Director of Genomic Research, Professor Sanjay Sisodiya, has set up a global initiative, Epilepsy Climate Change, to understand more about the effects of climate change on epilepsy through research, and to promote good practices within healthcare that reduce contributions to climate change.

And our Chief Executive Clare Pelham is calling on the NHS to take a global leadership position on climate change and health, bringing together nation states to address the worldwide consequences of public health.

As a charity we are reviewing our work practices to ensure that, wherever possible, our choices are green and kind to the planet. Across research, advocacy and care, members of our team are making personal decisions to reduce the use of single-use plastics, include plant-based meals in their diets, walk or take public transport where possible, and wage a war on waste.

The green branding is for the length of COP26 (31 October -12 November ) but our commitment is long-term.

We believe it is important to address the cost of climate change to human health as a matter of urgency. We believe this to be particularly so in the field of epilepsy.

So, for the next fortnight, green is the new purple. It is a small gesture but one which we feel to be of great importance at the Epilepsy Society.

Find out more

During COP26, we have launched a special supplement - #TheEnvironMentalIssue - printed on Mohawk paper, using algae ink. Read more about it and download the newspaper.