Connecting Climate Change to Health Equity: A Strategic Human-Centered Systems Thinking Approach 

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Written By EMI Advisors

Our planet is our home, and our health is deeply connected to its stability. The Earth is facing increased climate disasters, leading to health complications, economic loss, death, and displacement. Vulnerable populations are particularly at risk, with climate change exacerbating existing health challenges. Addressing the intersection of climate and health is crucial to mitigating these impacts. 

Defining the Intersection 

The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify three key areas at the climate-health intersection:  

  • Climate Mitigation. Removing and abating greenhouse gases that affect our climate. 

  • Climate Adaptation. Equipping communities to be resilient in the face of climate change impacts. 

  • Climate Equity. Addressing the vulnerability of certain populations to the impacts of climate change while recognizing the need for environmental justice to address historical decisions that have placed some populations at a higher risk than others.  

This intersection also considers how the entire climate and health ecosystem (1) can impact the climate and drive action.  

The Importance of Immediate Action 

We are at a critical juncture where public, private, and philanthropic sectors are aligned to fund climate action. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 have driven historic climate initiatives, created jobs, and reduced energy costs (2,3).  

The private sector has followed suit, with investments expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately one billion tons in 2030. The public sector, through the EPA, Department of Energy, and state and local governments, has awarded over a billion dollars in support of community resilience efforts to curb the detrimental impacts of climate change, including drought, heat, and extreme weather. Finally, the White House and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) crafted resources to inform data infrastructure for collecting and exchanging social and environmental risk factors (4).  

While political changes may affect federal commitment, states are actively pursuing climate action. Twenty-four states and DC have set legislative targets for greenhouse gas reduction, and thirty-three states have released or are developing climate action plans, with more policies emerging regularly (5). The climate startup scene is also growing, with founders partnering with communities and the government to drive change. Companies advancing key solutions are bridging information, interoperability, and funding between the public and private sectors (6). However, the alignment of funding sources to reduce climate adaptation costs and advance mitigation efforts remains unclear.  

EMI Advisors’ Role 

EMI’s mission is to harness information technology in the design and build of solutions that improve the well-being of individuals, communities, societies, and our planet. We have strengthened our foundation by expanding our team to advance our pioneering efforts in climate mitigation and addressing environmental drivers of health. Our work includes:  

  • Environmental Data Modeling and Data Analytics  

We support the U.S. Navy in mitigating its carbon footprint by creating baseline datasets that harmonize multiple data sources across the agency. By applying data modeling and predictive analytics and presenting the information in a visual interactive dashboard, we help the Navy understand their greenhouse gas emissions by military base and identify efficiency and cost savings opportunities. Our analytical capabilities can measure the stability and quality of power, predicting grid instability during natural disasters. This information informs adaptation plans that avoid damage and costs and reduce wait times for grid repairs, ensuring continuous electricity for millions of homes.  

  • Environmental and Human Services Data Interoperability 

We collaborate with federal and state health agencies to develop use cases and data standards for seamless collection, exchange, and use of clinical and non-clinical risk factors impacting whole-person care. Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate factors on individuals with complex chronic conditions, we apply digital transformation and human-centered systems-thinking approaches to bridge environmental and human health data gaps and guide the use of innovative tools for insights and decision-making (7,8).  

Learn more about what we do and why we do it in our blog posts: 

 

EMI heeds this call to action to work with our partners to drive transformation at the climate health intersection through:  

  • Development of standards for environmental health impacts and seamless data exchange. Currently, neither healthcare nor our environmental agency partners can document the health impacts of climate change using standardized codes. We recommend policy, data standards, and implementation guidance to support these efforts.  

  • Harmonization of disparate data sources across sectors. This includes synchronizing information timing, reporting cadence, and presentation through analytics and data visualizations. By bringing data together in a centralized database with modeling and analytics capabilities, we can better understand the complete picture of how climate mitigation impacts adaptation and health equity.  

  • Alignment of policy, payment and reimbursement structures, and federal programs to support digital transformation at the national, state, and local levels to include social care integration with healthcare and environmental data. This whole-of-government approach can help close the gaps between environmental health and health by utilizing health information technology.  

  • Application of AI for early detection and prevention of climate risks and disasters. In leveraging these novel technologies, we seek to ensure the data centers they rely upon use cleaner sources of energy. We also optimize usage based on the types of AI we apply, i.e. analytical versus generative, to lower our footprint.  

  • Environmental justice by design as we engage community-based organizations, vulnerable populations with lived experience, and stakeholders to leverage various funding sources. By centering on communities’ needs, especially those historically marginalized or excluded, we can create equitable systems and action plans that better prepare us to adapt while reducing the burden on our health and social care systems. 

The Path Forward 

EMI is dedicated to driving transformation through human-centered systems thinking, connecting environmental, social, and health-related risks. As our climate changes, so must our systems. Thoughtful systems transformation will enhance our adaptability and resilience. To learn how EMI Advisors can support your climate health strategy, contact hello@emiadvisors.net. 

EMI Advisors
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