M. Fabian

Primary Convener:
M. Fabian, Boston University School of Public Health

Climate change is one of the most studied subjects globally, but many of those tasked with creating policies to mitigate its impacts struggle to access science that can inform their work. This panel will explore how research can be translated into policy change, using examples from world-leading work on the impact of extreme heat on health in cities. Experiences from academic scientists, policymakers and community groups will show a pathway from science to real world changes that can improve people’s lives, and explore how planning for policy change and communication in the initial stages of projects can deliver huge benefits. In addition to leading academics, the panel will include city residents and local government to platform voices often missing from these discussions. The panel will share examples of work ranging from heat health modeling to community heat monitoring and how it has been communicated to policymakers in a way that matches what stakeholders need from scientists. It will also discuss how relationships between academia, healthcare, local groups and government officials can be created to bring about improvements in community health. In addition to climate science and health, this will connect other areas of research such as energy, planning, and education.

Index Terms
0230 Impacts of climate change: human health
0240 Public health
6620 Science policy

Cross-Listed:
GH - GeoHealth