HIPHI Welcomes the Climate Change & Health Working Group

HIPHI is excited to welcome our new Director of Community Preparedness and Resilience, James McCallen, who brings with him the Climate Change & Health Working Group (CCHWG) – a volunteer coalition of over 200 public health professionals, physicians, nurses, students, and community advocates dedicated to addressing climate change as a public health issue. Co-founded in 2023 while James served as Climate Change and Health Coordinator at the Hawai‘i Department of Health, the CCHWG collaborates across disciplines and communities to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s public health response to the climate crisis.

Now fiscally sponsored by HIPHI, the CCHWG prioritizes community listening sessions to hear directly from community members about their climate-related health concerns and to identify local priorities and solutions. Recent sessions in Kapolei and Waiʻanae, supported by a generous donation from Kaiser Permanente, highlighted critical issues, including emergency evacuation infrastructure, wildfire preparedness, extreme heat mitigation, and waterborne illness prevention following flooding. During these sessions, the CCHWG also connects residents directly with resources such as Firewise USAⓇ and heat-related illness education materials to ensure community perspectives guide Hawaiʻi’s climate response and critical health information is shared.

Insights gathered from community listening sessions directly inform the group’s policy efforts at the Hawai‘i State Capitol. The CCHWG’s policy subgroup currently hosts three undergraduate interns from UH through a partnership with Hawaiʻi Green Growth. Notably, these interns proposed a resolution declaring climate change a public health emergency (SCR 111/SR 92, HCR 188/HR 182) in Hawaiʻi, now actively progressing through the legislature.

Bringing the CCHWG under HIPHI’s umbrella is a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering a healthier, more resilient future for Hawai‘i. As we collaborate with local partners, policymakers, and community groups, we invite anyone interested in learning more or getting involved in the CCHWG’s listening sessions, policy work, upcoming mental health subgroup, or monthly virtual meetings to reach out. Together, we can bolster community resilience, protect our most vulnerable neighbors, and continue building a climate-ready Hawai‘i rooted in justice and aloha. 

To learn more and get involved, visit climatehealthhawaii.org to join the listserv for monthly meetings, or contact James at james@hiphi.org for more information.