Charting a Climate, Health, and Equity Agenda

Detroit, Michigan

Cosponsored with the Climate and Energy Funders Group, Environmental Grantmakers Association, Health and Environmental Funders Network, and The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities

Every community faces serious health, water, air, and infrastructure challenges from climate change and the forces driving it. Children, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, low-income rural and urban communities, people of color, indigenous communities, and immigrants are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Imagine the possibilities for Americans’ health and our climate if the people and communities most impacted mobilize with allies to gain greater control over decisions shaping health outcomes, energy choices, and environmental quality.

Charting a Climate, Health, and Equity Agenda: Investing in Those Most Impacted to Improve Health and the Environment drew together an array of funders interested in health, the environment, racial and gender equity, climate and energy, water, urban and rural communities, smart growth, and related areas to:

• break down silos and build common ground for collaboration on shared goals,
• hear from affected communities about how they are mobilizing to improve their health and environmental quality,
• explore co-benefit projects making progress across a range of climate, health, and equity goals,
• learn from recent communications research about effective ways to talk about climate and health; and
• get out into Detroit neighborhoods to see how people are experiencing these issues in their lives.Stay in Detroit for a local site visit focused on climate, health, and equity on November 15, and for the Health and Environmental Funders Network’s annual meeting November 15-16.