Climate Health
Stand With Us!
Stand With Us to improve Climate Health
Nurses play a crucial role in climate health initiatives due to their unique position at the intersection of healthcare and community engagement. As frontline healthcare providers, nurses witness firsthand the impacts of climate health,
such as heat-related illnesses, respiratory conditions from poor air quality, and the spread of infectious diseases. Involvement in climate health initiatives allows for a more informed, compassionate, and holistic approach to patient care
and community health. Moreover, nurses have a trusted voice and can effectively advocate for policies that improve climate health, promote sustainability, and enhance resilience against climate-related health threats. Participating in these
initiatives helps protect public health and advance equitable healthcare access, particularly for vulnerable populations who are most affected by climate health issues.
Join VNA & ANA to Stand with Us and advocate for Climate Health!
Take Action on these Climate Health initiatives
State Climate Policy Dashboard
The State Climate Policy Dashboard is a curated, interactive database with information on state-level climate policy progress in the U.S. Explore by state to learn about enacted policies and opportunities across all 50 states or by policy area for national landscape analyses and resources on 62 climate policies.
Fill it Forward is a social impact initiative that encourages people to reuse bottles and cups by attaching a reusable tag to them. Each time the tag is scanned, a donation is triggered to fund clean water projects around the world. The goal is to promote sustainability by reducing single-use plastics while supporting access to clean water in underserved communities.
Plant-for-the-Planet is a global youth-led organization that aims to combat the climate crisis by planting trees and raising awareness about climate justice. Founded in 2007, the initiative encourages individuals and communities worldwide to plant trees as a simple yet effective way to sequester carbon dioxide and restore ecosystems. The organization also empowers young people to become "Climate Justice Ambassadors," advocating for sustainable practices and policies.
FoodPrint is an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the environmental, social, and health impacts of food production and consumption. It provides resources, guides, and tools to help individuals make more sustainable food choices, such as choosing organic, reducing waste, and supporting local food systems. FoodPrint aims to educate people on how their food choices affect the planet and to encourage more responsible, eco-friendly eating habits.
Organizations Participating in VNA Climate Health Initiatives
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (VFBF) is the largest nonprofit agricultural advocacy organization in Virginia. It was founded in 1926 to support the agricultural interests of Farm Bureau members through a variety of programs and services. educates and
mobilizes clinician leaders to bring the health voice to climate policymaking in Virginia.
The Richmond & Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) are part of the Virginia Departmet of Health (VDH). VDH is dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of Virginians. The VDH is made up of a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 35 local health districts. These entities work together to promote healthy lifestyle choices that can combat chronic disease, educate the public about emergency preparedness and threats to their health, and track disease outbreaks in Virginia.
Virginia Farm Bureau
Federation (VFBF) is the largest nonprofit agricultural advocacy organization in Virginia. It was founded in 1926 to support the agricultural interests of Farm Bureau members through a variety of programs and services.
It is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to protecting Virginia's farms. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is part of the 6-million-member American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
The Virginia Rural Health Association (VRHA) is a nonprofit organization working for the 2.5 million people who call rural Virginia their home.
Resources for Nurses & Healthcare Providers
Richmond, Virginia Resources
Climate for Health is a national initiative led by a diverse network of health leaders from across the health sector representing key healthcare, public health, clinical, and medical institutions and associations. Founded by ecoAmerica, Climate for Health offers tools, resources, and communications to demonstrate visible climate leadership, inspiring and empowering health leaders to speak about, act on and advocate for climate solutions.
ClimateRx empowers health professionals to help your patients, colleagues, communities – and even elected leaders – to understand the connection between climate change and health, how to protect their health
in a changing climate, and how to be part of the solution to climate change.
On Earth Day 2022, the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human services launched the Health Sector Climate Pledge, a voluntary commitment by private sector healthcare organizations to climate resilience and emissions reduction that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. A group of 139 organizations representing 943 hospitals have signed the Pledge as of April 12, 2024. In addition to hospitals, these stakeholders include health centers, suppliers, insurance companies, group purchasing organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and more. Federal systems like the Indian Health Service (IHS), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and Military Health System (MHS) are working together to meet goals similar to those the private sector organizations have embraced. Combined, this means that over 1,180 federal and private sector hospitals have made such commitments, together representing over 15% of U.S. hospitals.
Specifically, pledge signers commit to:
- At minimum, reduce organizational emissions by 50% by 2030 (from a baseline no earlier than 2008) and achieve net-zero by 2050, publicly accounting for progress on this goal every year.
- Designate an executive-level lead for their work on reducing emissions by 2023 and conduct an inventory of Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by the end of 2024.
- Develop and release a climate resilience plan for continuous operations by the end of 2023 or within six months of signing the pledge, anticipating the needs of groups in their community that experience disproportionate risk of climate-related harm.
Health Care Without Harm seeks to transform health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental impact, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.
Resources for the Community
General
Heat
- CDC Heat-Related Illnesses Poster
- EPA/CDC Climate Change and Extreme Heat: What You Can Do to Prepare
- VCCA + VDH Keep It Cool, Kids Flyer (english, spanish)
- OSHA Prevent Heat Illness at Work- Ways to protect Yourself and Others (english, spanish)
- RHHD Heat, Flyer Bundle (english/spanish)
- RHHD Beat the Heat, Virginia ¼ page Flyer (english/spanish)
- VCCA Health in Our Changing Climate: Rising Heat Flyer
Air Quality
Sea Levels
ClimateRx was launched to provide peer-reviewed and vetted education, training, guidance and opportunities for action to help health professionals and their patients to care for their health and our climate.
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
Questions?
Contact VNA Communications & Advocacy Manager Elle Buck with any questions related to this page.