The International Climate and Health Council, launched on Wednesday, comprises senior doctors from the UK, Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. 

It is formed ahead of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.

The doctors want urgent government-led action to promote the adoption of low carbon lifestyles.

Professor Ian Gilmore, a founding member of the group and president of the Royal College of Physicians, said doctors needed to be more vocal on how climate change will damage health.

‘It's an international problem. There will be global water and food shortages and the UK would be hit by the consequences,' he said.

Adopting a low carbon lifestyle would bring many health benefits to the patient as well as help the environment he said.

Driving less and walking more is one example.

‘Patients could change their diet to eat less meat. We know that meat production is a great contributor of carbon emissions and reducing it is good for cancer and heart disease,' he said.