Advocacy to support climate and health policies: recommended actions for the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Authors

Andrea S. Mendoza-Vasconez, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Elizabeth McLaughlin, Department of Psychiatry, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
James F. Sallis, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Edward Maibach, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.
Elissa Epel, Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
Gary Bennett, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Leticia Nogueira, Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Julian Thayer, Department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
William H. Dietz, Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-25-2022

Journal

Translational behavioral medicine

Volume

12

Issue

4

DOI

10.1093/tbm/ibac028

Keywords

Advocacy; Behavior change; Climate change; Environment; Policy; Sustainability

Abstract

Climate change poses serious threats to public health and is exacerbating health inequities. Policy changes are essential to mitigate climate change impacts on human and planetary health. The purpose was to describe recommendations by the Policy and Advocacy Subgroup of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) Climate Change, Behavior Change and Health Presidential Working Group (PWG). The Policy and Advocacy subgroup was comprised of experts in public health, climate policy, and health behavior change, who worked together to identify priorities and develop recommendations. We worked under the premise that building political will for climate policy action is the most urgent goal, and we recommended promotion of citizen advocacy for this purpose. Because citizen advocacy is a set of behaviors, SBM members can use behavioral science to identify and scale up interventions, working collaboratively with communities targeted for marginalization. Recommendations for SBM included establishing an organizational home for climate and health work, providing training and resources, engaging in climate advocacy as an organization, and networking with other organizations. Recommendations for a proposed SBM Climate and Health Committee, Council, or Special Interest Group included developing trainings and resources, seeking opportunities for networking and collaborations, and identifying a research agenda. Individual behavior changes are insufficient to address climate change; policy actions are needed. SBM and similar organizations can support their members to work in developing, evaluating, and scaling up advocacy interventions for action on climate policy to magnify the power of the health and medical sectors to protect planetary and human health.

APA Citation

Mendoza-Vasconez, Andrea S.; McLaughlin, Elizabeth; Sallis, James F.; Maibach, Edward; Epel, Elissa; Bennett, Gary; Nogueira, Leticia; Thayer, Julian; and Dietz, William H., "Advocacy to support climate and health policies: recommended actions for the Society of Behavioral Medicine" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 917.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/917

Department

Prevention and Community Health