A Framework for Understanding the Role of Public Health in Climate Action

The social determinants of health and climate change both impact health in many ways, directly and indirectly. This presentation explores the relationships between health inequities and climate health impacts, using a diagrammatic framework that was developed to identify opportunities for health sector action on climate change. The framework draws on extensive interviews with public health workers and community based climate change and public health advocates, a review of the literature on environmental health and social determinants of health frameworks, and an iterative framework development process. The framework highlights the importance of incorporating a health lens into climate response, and the need for greater community and health sector engagement in climate policy to achieve aggressive and equitable climate action.