Policy + Advocacy
This workgroup is currently in development but we are working diligently to build this crucial team. If interested, please let us know!
Climate-related risks, including air pollution, extreme heat, and hurricanes threaten the health of all North Carolinians. Children, the elderly, outdoor workers, low-wealth communities, and people of color are particularly impacted by climate damage. That’s why we put health - and health equity - at the center of conversations about climate change. We advocate for solutions to climate change that already exist and can benefit health right now - including a transition to clean energy, clean transportation, and sustainable food systems.
The policy and advocacy workgroup enables CACHE members to use their health professional voices to advocate for policies and community-based practices to mitigate climate change, and to ensure equitable climate adaptation and resilience strategies. We work closely with NC Conservation Network and other nonprofit and community organizations to center the concerns of the most adversely impacted communities. We also partner with our national organization, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, on federal policy initiatives.
Future Policy + Advocacy Workgroup Activities
Developing and supporting 1 to 3 annual advocacy campaigns each year
Meeting with our affiliate NC Conservation Network’s policy team and other concerned organizations to learn about the environmental justice landscape in NC, and where our health professional voice can best be used to accelerate equitable climate solutions
Contributing content to social media streams and the monthly CACHE newsletter
Providing media with quotes and interviews on the health impact of climate change
Reviewing climate health focused sign-on letters developed by other state and national environmental/climate/health/equity organizations and adding our CACHE signature when appropriate
Writing editorials and/or letters to state and elected officials encouraging initiatives which support climate health mitigation, adaptation, and resilience
Devising a strategy to identify and prioritize the needs of EJ communities and community-based organizations