Involving Public Health in Climate Change Policy

Climate change may well be the greatest threat to human health in this century and with an express mission to protect and enhance the health and well-being of communities, public health practitioners have both a responsibility and an obligation to be at the forefront of efforts to reverse climate change.

The potential public health disaster posed by climate change presents a unique and important opportunity to articulate a health-based climate change strategy that will improve health outcomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To assist the public health community in this effort, we provide public health practitioners with the practical tools, policy strategies, and legal resources they need to effectively participate in climate change planning activities taking place at the state, regional, and local levels.

You may also be interested in our report, Local Policy Scan on Climate Change Adaptation, which provides a snapshot of the current state of community-level activities in North America for addressing the relationship between climate change and public health.