Earth Day: Centering Health Equity in Climate Action

Climate change presents an urgent and growing risk to companies, communities, and public health. By 2050, it is projected to result in US$12.5 trillion in economic losses and an additional US$1.1 trillion in healthcare costs. This Earth Day, as companies work on building long-term resilience in the face of climate change, it's important to consider the health of people as well as the planet.

In a recent webinar, BSR Collaborative Initiative Centering Health Equity in Climate Action (CHEC) brought its members together to share insights and real-world experiences on integrating health equity in climate action, answering five key questions on the topic below.

1. What is the climate, health, equity nexus and why does it matter?

The effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and increasing greenhouse gas levels, lead to negative health impacts on people, including heat-related illnesses, injuries, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and mental health issues.

However, climate change does not impact all people’s health equally. Vulnerable community members live in areas often hit hardest by extreme weather, do not have adequate resources to rebuild after climate disasters, and experience chronic illnesses and other health complications due to a lack of medical care, as well as social and economic inequities.

For example, as global temperatures rise, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe. This is leading to more heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly among the more vulnerable populations, such as elderly people, young children, outdoor workers, and people with preexisting conditions.

Businesses have the ability and responsibility to act and need to think about incorporating climate solutions in a way that uplifts the most vulnerable and protects public health, especially given the impacts on their workforce and long-term resilience.

2. How does the climate, health, equity nexus impact businesses?

Companies can no longer afford to overlook the factors that influence employee well-being, health, and resilience. Disparities in health outcomes, access to care, and exposure to environmental risks are already reshaping the conditions in which businesses operate.

Healthy employees are essential for business continuity, and employees depend on healthy communities and functioning health systems. Climate change is threatening all three. When climate-related health impacts affect the broader workforce community, business resilience is at risk.

These impacts disproportionately affect under-resourced communities that already face significant health disparities. The intersection of climate, health, and equity reveals that these are not separate challenges—they are interconnected systemic risks.

This also presents an opportunity. Businesses that take the lead in aligning climate action with health and equity outcomes are better positioned to withstand disruption, earn stakeholder trust, and build a more resilient operating environment.

3. What are some of the most pressing climate and health issues facing communities today?

Extreme heat, poor air quality, unprecedented storms, and vector-borne illnesses can all affect communities. Extreme heat causes dehydration, heat stroke, aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, mental health distress, chronic disease complications, and workplace injuries. This in turn can lead to employee absenteeism, decreased productivity, and increased healthcare and disability costs.

Extreme events, such as wildfires, can result in health crises after the fires, e.g., people suffering from persistent coughs and the unknown long-term effects of pollution from burning plastic.

These examples illustrate the types of challenges that employees and their communities are experiencing. However, the specific health impacts on employees and communities vary based on local environmental conditions and the nature of climate-related changes in each region.

4. How can businesses integrate health equity in their existing climate action?

To address health equity, business can look for opportunities within existing and new climate solutions. For example, a business can implement an emissions reduction initiative as a part of its decarbonization strategy. Emissions reduction initiatives often have positive health benefits, such as reducing heat and pollution, promoting physical and mental health, and decreasing respiratory diseases in communities historically affected by industrial pollution.  Businesses can work with community organizations to identify how these health benefits can be shared equally among communities.

Companies can also consider the health impact opportunities with their respective industries. For example, travel company leaders can think critically about how tourism can support, rather than degrade, local ecosystems and economies. Construction companies can team up with building supply manufacturers to consider how to design and build healthier spaces.

Collaboration is key, and businesses need to partner with academic and community partners to find out how their climate and health initiatives can be the most impactful, and to find the people who can best implement activities quickly. 

5. What practical steps can businesses take to incorporate health equity in their climate action strategies? 

CHEC recently published a toolkit to help companies on their climate and health equity journeys. The resource demonstrates how climate change negatively impacts the health of vulnerable communities and, in turn, affects businesses, with real-life examples from CHEC members who have successfully integrated health equity into their existing sustainability initiatives.

The following four practical steps are expanded upon in the toolkit: 

1. Understand the business’ climate and health equity impacts: Begin by assessing where climate impacts from your business may have public health impacts along your value chain. It’s especially important to consider where inequitable effects on vulnerable populations may occur.
2. Start with the most impacted in your value chain: Identify the populations most affected by climate and health equity impacts within your value chain, as these are the groups for which your business holds the greatest responsibility. 
3. Measure, manage, and monitor: What gets measured gets managed. Begin by collecting data on your climate and health equity impacts and commit to ongoing measurement, management, and monitoring. With data insights, set goals based on clear insights and align them with your company’s sustainability targets.
4. Embed climate and health equity throughout your organization: Lasting change is only possible when initiatives are aligned to a business’ objectives, mission, and vision. All parties should be on board: from the board and executives to department leads and their teams.

Download the toolkit to learn more. For more information on the climate, nature, and health intersection and how BSR can support you, please contact the Climate and Nature team.  

Topics

• Climate Change
• Collaboration
• Nature

Collaborative Initiatives

• Centering Health Equity in Climate Action

This article was originally published at the BSR website "Sustainability Insights" and is written by Amina Azmat, Manger climate and Nature, at BSR.