Resources on Climate Change and Health
Climate change has been described as the greatest threat to global health. It is therefore crucial for all public health practitioners to be aware of the range of impacts on health and of the actions that the public health community can take in climate mitigation and adaptation.
Addressing climate change and health is core business for all those working in public health. These resources aim to support all those working in public health by providing a range of information on sustainable development and climate change.
The FPH Climate and Health Strategy was published in December 2021 and provides a clear vision for the role of the Faculty in climate mitigation and adaptation. It also articulates the ways that action on climate is also beneficial for public health and outlines the roles of FPH members in this work.
The below resources have been written by: Stuart Aldridge, Kristin Bash, Isobel Braithwaite, Anna Brook, Katie Clare, Amanda Donnelly, Karen Exley, Jenny Griffiths, Simon Hailstone, Dawn Jenkin, Anna Jones, Owen Landeg, Karen Lau, Helen Macintyre, Angelique Mavrodaris, Alice Munro, Yannish Naik, Emer O’Connell, Jo Parry, Revati Phalkey, Helen Ross, John Thornes, Jeremy Wight and Sarah Woodhall.
These resources are provided in four main sections:
- Summary resources providing a concise summary of key topics
- Library of external resources
- Case studies providing examples of public health work undertaken by FPH members
- Advocacy work by FPH members
1. Summary resources
These resources, which have been written by FPH members, provide a two-page concise summary of a major topic relating to climate change and health, with references and signposts to more detailed information.
They cover both “knowledge” and “action” and explain the relationships between the work of public health professionals, climate change, and health. CPD questions are included at the end of each resource. Where appropriate, answers can be found in the PDF “CPD Model Answers”.
2. Library of external resources
This section consists of links to external sites and resources relating to a range of topics that are relevant to action on climate change, air pollution and health. This is a rapidly changing field and the rationale for this section is to signpost readers to external information from credible sources that will support their work in this area. These are key policy documents relating to national or international aspects of climate and health, and resources providing a comprehensive summary of the evidence to date.
Access the library of external resources here.
3. Case studies
This section of the resources aims to showcase examples of public health action to tackle climate change and air pollution across a diverse range of areas. It aims to build a bank of public health case studies of action on climate change which can then help to motivate and guide others who are considering embarking on similar projects.
If you have been involved with a relevant piece of work on any scale and on any theme or setting - please consider submitting your case study. You can do this by clicking on the link below which will open a template form for you to complete. This does not have to be a piece of work that you would necessarily consider submitting for publication but one that you think could be useful to share for others to learn from.
Link for case study template here.
Once you have completed this form by providing content in the template, please forward this document to email sdsig@fph.org.uk. This case study will be reviewed by the team before being added to the case study library. Please ensure that you include contact information so that you can be contacted for more detail if needed.
Feedback on these resources
These resources will be further added to and developed over time. If you have any suggestions or any feedback, please do contact: sdsig@fph.org.uk.
4. Advocacy work by FPH members
In 2021, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) published its first Climate and Health Strategy (2021-25) with advocacy as one of the core priorities. This section provides resources developed to support members in undertaking advocacy work. The resources in this section have been developed by Anna Brook, Emily Loud, and Iona Lyell with contributions from other members of the advocacy working group and SIG.
This report summarises work led by the Faculty of Public Health exploring what UK public health organisations are doing on the climate and ecological crisis, to understand gaps in action, understand what is needed for a climate resilient health system, and to identify opportunities for organisations to work together effectively to maximise impact.
A report from 2023 summarising the work done to plan and scope the FPH’s actions to achieve the advocacy ambitions set out in the Climate & Health strategy.
Scoping and Skills for advocacy - literature and peer learning summary
We completed a ‘quick and dirty’ review to summarise the literature on advocacy. The purpose of this review was to inform FPH’s advocacy work within the Climate and Health Strategy. The outputs of this review are:
- A reading list comprising the full set of papers that we included from our purposive search – this can be searched for in-depth information and added to over time. It is structured against the themes for the synthesis.
- A slideset summary of the synthesis
- As a group, we can also help with providing more detailed input to the proactive advocacy and skills strands as requested (capacity permitting), for example presenting an overview of ingredients for success or suggesting tools or frameworks to use in planning campaigns. We are currently doing this for the planning of the proactive campaign to prevent fossil fuel expansion.
We have developed some resources to support you with learning and professional development. See below for resources to help you:
- Explore evidence-based ways to communicate about the climate crisis as a public health crisis;
- Learn from others’ experiences in influencing and advocating;
- Practice Public Health influencing skills with peers.
- Summary of findings from current and former presidents of the FPH with a focus on achieving and maintaining change in general, and topic specific advocacy and advocacy from an FPH perspective.
- External messaging: an overview of climate change communication for public health. Communicating about the climate crisis as a public health crisis is a challenge that many of us struggle with, and a lack of confidence in this area can prevent us from being the effective professionals and advocates we aspire to be. A range of speakers gave us an overview of the basics of climate change communication for public health, with a more external audience (the public, media and politicians) in mind, including:
- Professor Ed Maibach, Director of the Centre for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University in the USA
- Kate Llewellyn, Head of Training and Engagement at Heard, a UK charity working with people and the media to inspire content and communication that changes hearts and minds
- Matthew Green, global investigations editor at DeSmog, leading coverage of the global climate crisis, energy politics, and the struggles for environmental justice through an international lens.
You can see a summary of the session here.
You can watch the pre-recorded session below.
- Internal Influencing: experiences of communicating and influencing on climate and health within our public health workplaces. Have you ever found it hard to convince your organisation to prioritise sustainability and climate/environmental change? Would you like to learn how to inspire those around you to take action? A range of speakers talked to us about how they did it and what they learned along the way, including:
- Marc Davies, Consultant in Public Health at Swansea Bay University Health Board, Deputy FPH Faculty Advisor for Wales
- Phil Mackie, Consultant in Public Health NHS Grampian
- Eleanor Roaf, recently retired Director of Public Health Trafford, Vice-Chair of the FPH Climate and Health Committee
- Caroline Tomes, Consultant in Public Health UKHSA Centre for Climate and Health Security and previously CPH at Bradford Council
You can see a summary of the session here.
You can watch the pre-recorded session below.
Additional resources
FPH Climate and Health Conference 2023 resources
In June 2023, the Faculty co-hosted the Climate & Health Conference on the theme of climate adaptation in the UK. Links to the presentations, as well as the event recording can be found below.
- The event recording can be viewed on the FPH YouTube channel here.
- 'Adapting to a Warming World' by Baroness Brown - view slides here.
- 'Adapting to extreme events and the role of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan' by Agostinho Sousa - view slides here.
- 'Assessing progress in adapting to climate change - Northern Ireland 2023' by Stephen Jones - view slides here.
- 'The Met Office and our Changing Climate' by John Hammond - view slides here.
- 'The “physiological” need to adapt' by Mr Andrew Mackenzie and Professor Mike Tipton - view slides here.
- Abstract presentations - view slides here.
- Further resources relevant to the topics discussed at the conference are available here.
FPH Climate and Health Conference 2022 resources
In September 2022, the Faculty hosted an international Climate and Health Conference to support our action on climate change, and to bring together public health professionals from across the UK and overseas to discuss matters related to climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability.
Access the resources and recordings from the conference below.
Faculty of Public Health Climate and Health Conference 2022 - Opening Presentations
Watch the opening presentations of the Faculty of Public Health Climate and Health Conference 2022.
Access the presentation slides here.
Effective Action by Australia on Climate Change and it's Health Effects. Can Australia Catch Up Under its New Government? - Elizabeth Haworth
Elizabeth Haworth presents 'Effective action by Australia on climate change and it's health effects. Can Australia catch up under its new Government?'
Decolonising Climate Action Wherever You Are - Rhys Jones and Alexandra Macmillan
Rhys Jones and Alexandra Macmillan present 'Decolonising climate action wherever you are'.
Nature-based Solution: Opportunities and Challenges for Asian Cities to Adapt - Mozaharul Alam
Mozaharul Alam presents 'Nature-based Solution: Opportunities and Challenges for Asian Cities to Adapt'
Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change: Implications for Public Health Action - David Nabarro and Emma Lawrance
David Nabarro and Emma Lawrance present 'Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change: Implications for Public Health Action'.
Access the presentation slides here.
Adaptation, Resilience and Health Nexus - The African Perspective - Anthony Nyong
Anthony Nyong presents 'Adaptation, Resilience and Health Nexus - The African Perspective'.
Oil Pollution, Climate Change and the Health of Niger Delta Communities - Ken Henshaw
Ken Henshaw presents 'Oil Pollution, Climate Change and the Health of Niger Delta Communities'.
The role of health professionals in Climate Action - Marija Jevtic
Prof dr Marija Jevtic presents on the role of health professionals in Climate Action from the viewpoint of EUPHA ENV and Climate Pact Ambassadors.
Access the presentation slides here.
A Healthy Response to Climate Change (QnA) - Courtney Howard
Courtney Howard answers questions following her presentation on 'A Healthy Response to Climate Change'.
Responding to the Impact of Climate Change in Urban Areas in Argentina - Silvia Fontan
Silvia Fontan presents 'Responding to the Impact of Climate Change in Urban Areas in Argentina'.
Access the presentation slides here.
Believe in the Power of Small Actions - The Example of Incredible Edible - Pam Warhurst
Pam Warhurst presents 'Believe in the Power of Small Actions - The Example of Incredible Edible'.
Access the presentation here.
Modelling the Health and Economic Impacts of Air Pollution in Redbridge - Beattie Sturrock
Beattie Sturrock presents 'Modelling the Health and Economic Impacts of Air Pollution in Redbridge' (abstract presentation).
Audit of Local Authority Public Health Teams Engagement with the Climate Change Agenda in the East of England - Gabi Woolf
Gabi Woolf presents 'Audit of Local Authority Public Health Teams Engagement with the Climate Change Agenda in the East of England' (abstract presentation).
Access the presentation slides here.
How can the Public Health Workforce Resist Fossil Fuel Expansion in the UK? - Abi Deivanayagam
Abi Deivanayagam presents 'How can the Public Health Workforce Resist Fossil Fuel Expansion in the UK?' (abstract presentation).
Staff Engagement in the Climate and Health Agenda: Establishing the Swansea Bay Green Group - Marc Davies
Marc Davies presents 'Staff Engagement in the Climate and Health Agenda: Establishing the Swansea Bay Green Group' (abstract presentation).
What is the Role of Public Health in the Climate and Ecological Emergency? A Qualitative Study - Peter Davey
Peter Davey presents 'What is the Role of Public Health in the Climate and Ecological Emergency? A Qualitative Study' (abstract presentation)
Climate and Health Security - Virginia Murray
Virginia Murray presents 'Climate and Health Security' (abstract presentation).
Public Health Wales Decarbonisation Action Plan - Rebecca Masters
Rebecca Masters presents 'Public Health Wales Decarbonisation Action Plan (abstract presentation).
Faculty of Public Health Climate and Health Conference 2022 - Closing Presentation
FPH President Professor Kevin Fenton closes the Climate and Health Conference 2022.
