Quarterly Highlights from the Climate Change & Health Working Group

Caption: Dr. Albie Miles speaking at the Hawaiʻi Food System Summit 2024.

It’s been a big few months for the Climate Change & Health Working Group (CCHWG). As the group continues to grow and build new partnerships, this past quarter brought key wins at the Legislature, engaging guest speakers, and real momentum toward building a stronger foundation for the future.

During the legislative session, the CCHWG policy subgroup celebrated a major milestone with the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 111, which formally recognizes climate change as a public health emergency in Hawai‘i. This was the group’s first time organizing throughout the legislative session, and the resolution marked an important first step in raising the healthcare voice in climate policy. A lot of credit goes to our incredible student interns from Hawai‘i Green Growth, who supported the policy subgroup with testimony, tracking, and strategy.

This quarter also brought deeper collaboration between HIPHI and CCHWG, especially as both teams worked together on funding opportunities. These conversations have helped shape a shared vision and are laying the groundwork for HIPHI’s new Community Preparedness & Resilience (CPR) portfolio. CCHWG plays a central role in this space and is helping to connect other HIPHI programs working at the intersection of climate, health, food systems, and aging.

The group’s monthly meetings have remained a space for connection and learning. In March, Dr. Albie Miles shared insights on food systems and climate resilience through his work with the Transforming Hawai‘i’s Food Systems Together initiative. In April, we heard from Stuart Coleman of WAI (Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations), who spoke about the urgent need to address Hawai‘i’s outdated cesspools before climate impacts like sea level rise and groundwater intrusion worsen the problem. Both sessions helped CCHWG members see new ways the health community can support long-term resilience across sectors.

Looking ahead, CCHWG is planning its first in-person strategic planning retreat, scheduled for July 12. This will be an opportunity for members to reflect on how far we’ve come, clarify our mission and structure, and co-create a path forward that positions the group to take on more opportunities and impact in the years ahead.

We’re also excited to welcome several new interns this summer. Three students from Punahou School will be supporting our heat-related illness prevention work, and one MPH student will join us through HIPHI’s internship program to assist with policy analysis and research.

From highlighting the climate-health connection in policy to deepening cross-sector conversations and welcoming new energy into the work, this past quarter has shown what’s possible when healthcare, community, and climate leaders come together with a shared purpose.