Public Health Scotland and its collaborators are calling for local governments, health boards and organisations to work together to build climate resilient communities, while tackling health inequalities – having outlined core themes and resources in a briefing.

In a new briefing, the public health organisation says climate change will increasingly impact the ‘building blocks of good health’ – like housing, transport and the local economy – and must be protected.

In collaboration with Adaptation Scotland and the Improvement Service, Public Health Scotland (PHS) details in the briefing how people who are socially and economically disadvantaged experience significantly poorer health and are more vulnerable to flooding, increased temperatures and coastal change as a result of a changing climate.

Improving access to greenspace, raising low incomes and supporting greater community engagement are ways the organisations say local areas can work to improve health and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Dr Joanna Teuton, Public Health Intelligence Advisor at PHS said:

“Ensuring a just approach to climate resilience and reducing health inequalities are, and will continue to be, key challenges for Scotland in the twenty-first century.

“Addressing these challenges requires a broad range of partnerships to deliver better lives for the people of Scotland. Together we can create places for people to live and work which are healthy, more equitable and resilient to our changing climate.

“We strongly encourage people working in a range of sectors to take the collective action needed to adapt to climate impacts in a way that protects people from the adverse health effects of the changing climate and promotes better health and wellbeing.”

The briefing details how principles of net zero emissions, equality and sustainability underpin the key themes for place and wellbeing that PHS is looking to see embedded into policy.

These key themes include resources like public services and support, work and access to energy efficient, affordable housing and outdoor space.

For example, supporting good quality, well-maintained, safe and accessible active travel infrastructure improves physical activity, social opportunities and greater access to goods and services that contribute to better physical and mental health.

NHS Lothian has recently expanded its programme to deliver a net zero NHS, with staff working across education, clinical and quality improvement work as well as improving on-site sustainability.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, the Principal of the University of Glasgow, spoke with healthandcare.scot about the need for urgent climate action last year while hosting the inaugural Global Sustainable Development Congress.

Professor Muscatelli shared that there are incredible projects across Scotland like Glasgow’s GALLANT work, and building cross-sectoral local and international work to tackling health inequalities and climate change is vital.

Now, this briefing is urging collaborative action to improve health and equity alongside climate resilience.

Judi Kilgallon, Climate Change Transformation Manager at the Improvement Service, said:

“We recognise the importance of working in collaboration to tackle climate change and deliver better outcomes for places and communities.

“Climate change is a challenge that will shape the future of local authorities by necessity and provides an opportunity to bring together sectors and priorities to achieve these outcomes.

“At the Improvement Service, we are already working to support local government and communities through our Shaping Places for Wellbeing programme and our work with community councils.”

Beyond discussing how to adapt to the climate crisis’ impacts, the briefing details how to take a preventative approach to building resilience at a local level.

The resource includes a range of tools and case studies to support community climate action across Scotland. For example, Planning Aid Scotland has launched a Climate Lens as an action planning integrate discussions about the climate emergency response for adaptation and mitigation.

These looked across three themes of economy and transport; housing and energy; and community life, sea and land – and scenario-planning workshops were run with community members.

Anna Beswick, Head of Climate Ready Leadership at Sniffer and Adaptation Scotland Programme Manager, said:

“The challenge of increasing resilience and adapting to climate change is deeply connected to the health and wellbeing of humans and nature. The impacts of climate change interact with the unjust and avoidable differences in peoples’ health across the population.

“We need actions to adapt to climate change, which take into account existing inequalities and create opportunities to strengthen the building blocks of good health, including high quality housing, transport systems and natural environment.

“The new guidance helps build understanding of the connections between climate resilience and health inequalities, providing practical actions that we can implement today.

Read more: NHS sustainability strategy launched; Glasgow: Working together for a healthy city; Scotland first to ban planet-harming anaesthetic gas; Realistic medicine to help the climate; Disposable gloves to protect patients and the planet; Working together for climate action and good health

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox and you can follow healthandcare.scot on Google News.