ACTION STEPS FOR HEALTH PHILANTHROPY ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is one of the biggest health and equity issues of our time. The effects of climate change on health are well documented (Appendix) and increasingly apparent with the spread of infectious diseases; poor air quality; increases in dangerous heat; and severe weather disrupting energy, water, and food sources.

Systemic racism and socioeconomic inequalities have disproportionately burdened low-income communities and communities of color with the health and economic impacts of climate change, pollution, and environmental hazards. COVID-19 has exacerbated these inequities and foreshadowed the increased disruptions, devastation, and disparities we can expect from climate disasters. 

Because the scale of climate change can seem daunting, some may think of the issue as the responsibility of federal, state, local, and tribal governments. But philanthropy has an essential role to play. The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy’s 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2020 contends that philanthropy will be on the front lines of climate change response, with most of this work falling into four key categories: 

• Responding to disasters that are more frequent and more powerful as a result of climate change;
• Incorporating the impacts of climate change into strategies for issues already being addressed;
• Advancing innovative programs for mitigation and prevention; and
• Continuing to lead on advocacy efforts for climate-focused policy change.

While environmental, energy, and disaster funders have been leading the charge, climate change’s significant impact on individual and community health argues for health philanthropy’s increased involvement. For health funders who are newly interested in climate-related philanthropy, there are promising practices to support and innovative solutions in which to invest. The following compilation of data, resources, and strategic guidance for health funders—while globally and nationally informed—is geared towards local and regional place-based strategies and is intended as a supplement to other resources in the Climate, Health, and Equity Funder Toolkit.

WHERE TO BEGIN

• Understand the current funding landscape. The Climate, Health, and Equity Funder Toolkit provides a repository of information on government (federal, state, local, and tribal) and philanthropic funding, along with hubs of funder and nonprofit collaboration. Toolkit data originated from a landscape analysis of climate, health, and equity funding conducted in fall 2019. Another useful resource is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2017 health and climate landscape assessment, which outlined key findings related to funding approaches, research gaps, and communications opportunities. In recent years, several broader philanthropic initiatives, pooled funds, and climate challenges have also been established, such as Lever for Change 2030 Climate Challenge, Bloomberg Philanthropies American City Climate Challenge, ClimateWorks Foundation, Climate Leadership Initiative, and Climate Emergency Fund. Equity investments, however, are still woefully lacking, with just 1.3 percent of U.S. climate dollars going to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led environmental justice groups. The Donors of Color Network’s Climate Funders Justice Pledge is calling on philanthropy to increase funding of BIPOC-led groups to at least 30 percent within two years and to improve transparency with grant reporting. Resources: Donors of Color Network; The Hive Fund;  Native Americans in Philanthropy; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Climate Change and Human Health; United States Climate Alliance.

• Build meaningful relationships with BIPOC environmental and climate justice leaders. At its best, philanthropy listens to, learns from, and supports individuals and communities that are on the frontlines, closest to the issues, and most knowledgeable about effective solutions. Foundations on the leading edge of climate funding are seeking out BIPOC- and youth-led organizations and grassroots leaders in their communities and are disrupting the power dynamics inherent in philanthropic practice by ensuring those most proximal to the issues have the most power in decisionmaking. These funders are moving beyond advisory committees to funding paradigms that share decisionmaking power, compensate individuals for their time and expertise, center equity, and operationalize community empowerment and engagement. Resources: NDN Collective; Indigenous Environmental Network; National Black Environmental Justice Network; NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Green Latinos; Asian Pacific Environmental Network; Climate Justice Alliance; Sunrise Movement; Future Coalition.

• Consider ways your own organization can operationalize environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Philanthropy utilizes myriad tools beyond grantmaking and convening. At the institutional level, foundations can examine their own operations, policies, practices, and ways of doing business and can leverage their financial assets and purchasing power to prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Examples include restructuring financial investments and banking relationships to divest from fossil fuels and align with sustainability goals; offsetting the carbon footprint of foundation-related travel and reducing overall energy consumption; changing vendor contracts to reduce single-use plastic and increase plant-based catering options; and preparing for the future implications of climate change on foundation operations, convenings, and grantmaking. Resources: Health Care & Climate Change: An Opportunity for Transformative Leadership; Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy

PHILANTHROPIC STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER 

• Support existing grantees and community partners to be prepared, responsive, and resilient in the face of more frequent damaging weather, pandemics, and other climate-related disasters. It is essential for philanthropy to help strengthen community-based leadership, coalitions, and organizations with capacity building, technical assistance, professional development, technological tools, infrastructure, and operational supports for climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainability efforts. Grantee organizations cannot achieve their mission if they are without power, water, or shelter from severe weather or if staff do not have necessary financial, psychological, or infrastructure supports. Resources: Disaster Philanthropy Playbook; Center for Disaster Philanthropy; Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange; Achieving a Climate for Health: Philanthropy to Promote Health and Justice through the Challenges of Climate Change. 

• Help to rebuild public health infrastructure and transform health departments for a climate resilient future. COVID-19 has increased awareness of how terribly underfunded, understaffed, and under-resourced public health institutions have been—and of how vital robust, sustained funding is for pandemic, disaster, and climate change preparedness and response. To recover and respond to future threats, both public and private funding are critically needed to address gaps and build the capacity of public health systems, including data infrastructure, surveillance, resilience planning, disaster response plans, technical assistance, and workforce training, and supports. Resources: Ready or Not 2021: Protecting the Public’s Health Against Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism; Climate Change & Health: Assessing State Preparedness; CDC's Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative; CDC Foundation’s Community Capacity Assessment For Climate Health.

• Enhance the capacity of hospitals, health care systems, and the health workforce to lead on climate-smart practice and policy change. The health sector is a significant part of the economy, and hospitals are often major employers that can leverage purchasing and political power to effect change. Although health institutions are taking strides to de-carbonize, reduce their environmental footprints, and build more resilient climate-friendly hospitals, more should be encouraged to do so. And with support, health professionals across many disciplines can be important advocates for health and climate solutions in clinical, community, and policy settings. Resources: Health Care Without Harm; Climate for Health; Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health; Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments; America’s Essential Hospitals.

• Develop resilient neighborhoods and communities that mitigate environmental and climate risks and help people thrive. Addressing challenges of extreme heat, air pollution, water quality, weatherproof housing, energy costs, and access to nature are top of mind for many communities. Philanthropic investments in housing, transportation, economic revitalization, food access, green spaces, and other social determinants of health are opportunities to mitigate hazards and support regenerative, sustainable practices. For example, increasing tree shade, parks, bike-friendly roads, pedestrian paths, clean energy sources, and healthy building design support both community health engagement and climate-resilience. Resources: Health and Climate Solutions Program; Multisolving at the Intersection of Health and Climate: Lessons from Success Stories; APHA Center for Climate, Health, and Equity.

• Protect children, older adults, and vulnerable populations with equitable disaster response and climate adaptation efforts. While no one is immune to the health effects of climate change, risk is heighted for populations with health vulnerabilities, such as children, older adults, people with disabilities, individuals with chronic illness, or in certain occupations like farm work or outdoor labor. Philanthropic efforts to improve child well-being can be broadened to consider the impacts of climate change on child development, mental health, asthma, allergies, and physical activity. Similarly, grantmaking initiatives geared toward homebound older adults and individuals with chronic conditions can be expanded to include equitable disaster preparedness and response efforts. Resources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Climate, Kids, and Health – C-CHANGE | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Grantmakers In Aging: Disasters, Older Adults, and Philanthropy; A People's Framework for Disaster Response: Rewriting the Rules of Recovery After Climate Disasters.

• Address the mental health toll of climate change. Acute and chronic mental health challenges due to climate change are equally urgent. Increases in stress, depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and substance use are all associated with climate-related events, whether directly (e.g., natural disasters) or indirectly (e.g., forced migration or unstable food systems). Already amid a mental health epidemic, our nation’s behavioral health infrastructure is severely under-resourced, and climate change will only intensify access issues and exacerbate inequities. More investments are vital to build the capacity of behavioral health systems, support the workforce, scale technology advancements, and reduce disparities to meet current demand and prepare for a future with greater strains on individual and collective well-being. Resources: Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance; Social Climate Leadership Group.

• Advance policy, coalition building, and public-private partnerships to meet this moment. Akin to health in all policies approaches, a climate in all policies approach could be a useful tool at the local, state, and federal levels. Health funders, grantees, and community leaders can serve as credible sources of information on the health consequences of climate change and provide strategic advice to decisionmakers. Health funders can also help elevate the voices of affected communities and support awareness, health impact assessments, local or regional alliances, and partnership building that integrates a climate lens into all decisions and policies. The federal government has recently made environmental justice and climate change key priorities, creating new opportunities to align funding and increase public-private collaboration. Resources: Adding a Climate Lens to Health Policy in the United States; Climate Change Solutions Simulator; George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.