Climate Change & Health Equity Branch - āAbout Us
The CDPH Climate Change and Health Equity (CCHE) Branch envisions a State where all Californians thrive in healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. Our team works to achieve this by building health equity, advancing climate action, and improving living conditions through policies, systems, and environmental changes.
Why Weāre Doing this Work
Climate change is one of the greatest public health threats of our time.
Those facing inequities are hurt first and worst by the impacts of climate change.
Climate change policies can improve the environments where people live, learn, work, play, and age, and represent a significant opportunity to improve population health and health inequities.
What We Do
Work across agencies and departments to embed health and racial equity into California climate plans, programs, and policies.
Guide state investment and resource distribution to prioritize health and racial equity and climate resilience.
Provide data, research, and tools to identify and reduce the health effects of climate change and maximize the health equity benefits of climate action (including establishing a statewide climate and health syndromic surveillance program).
Increase capacity of public health jurisdictions, Tribal health programs, and partner agencies to work on climate change and health equity (including providing technical assistanceā; facilitating a Local Health Jurisdictions Community of Practice and a cross-CDPH Climate Change and Health Equity Working Group).
Engage with Tribes and internal and external partners to shift towards policies, processes, and guidelines that increase communitiesā power in decision-making.
āOur Major Focus Areas
Statewide Cross-Sector Climate Change Policy, Planning, and Programs that promote health and racialāā equity and build climate resilience for communities
Land Use Planning with emphasis on building within unused and underutilized lands within existing development patterns (compact / infill development) and creating transit-oriented neighborhoods with easy access to daily needs to reduce the need to drive and facilitate healthy and active living
Transportation / Clean Mobility Options that prioritize accessible walking, cycling, and public transit
Housing and Anti-Displacement -- affordable, healthy, energy-efficient, and climate resilient homes
Clean Energy, including reducing barriers for low-income populations and disadvantaged communities to access clean energy, and ensuring energy security and resiliency
Natural and Working Lands, including sustainable and local food systems that enable healthy eating and food sovereignty
Urban Greening and Green Infrastructure that provide nature-based climate and health solutions
Labor and Workforce Development -- support workforce development and hiring practices that advance racial and health equity in the low-carbon and care economies
Community engagement -- meaningful community engagement that empowers communities facing inequities to drive climate and health policy and governmental decision-making
- Utilization of Health Equity Data and Toolsā to inform decisions, and to identify and prioritize State resources and investments to communities facing inequities and climate vulnerabilities
Our Recent Accomplishments
āāProvided health and equity guidance to over $8.5 billion in State grants (e.g., SGC Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities Program, SGC Transformative Climate Communities Program, Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants) to communities across California.
Supported State agencies in implementing climate legislation and executive orders around clean energy (SB 350), land use / transportation (SB 375, SB 150), climate adaptation (EO B-30-15, AB 2722) healthy housing and weatherization (AB 1232), climate adaptation (AB 1482), extreme heat resilience (AB 2238, AB 209, SB 306), and more.
Integrated health and equity into State climate change plans and policies impacting social determinants of health. Examples: California Climate Change Scoping Plan (State GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy), State Hazard Mitigation Plan, State Climate Adaptation Strategy, and more.
Implemented the California Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (CalBRACE) Project, building capacity to prepare for the health impacts of climate change.
Created tools for decision-makers to prioritize resources to communities facing inequities to improve living conditions and increase community resilience to climate impacts.
Quantified the potential health benefits of active transportation investments, leading to ambitious State goals to increase walking, cycling, and public transit use.
Hosted public meetings of the Public Health Workgroup of the California Climate Action Team since 2009 to collaborate, inform, and plan action centered on climate, health, and racial equity.