Sustainability, Climate and Health Collaboration

Promoting health and wellbeing under changing environment

We are seeking collaborations with various partners to shape policies and practices that could promote people’s health and wellbeing under changing environment and climate.

The Sustainability, Climate and Health Collaboration (SCHC) was established in late 2020 and hosted by School of Public Health, University of Sydney. We aim to enhance and promote collaborations in research and build capacity to address sustainability, climate and health.

Our research

The SCHC comprises senior, mid and early-career public health researchers of diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise related to sustainability, climate and health, adopting both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Examples of focused research areas (not limited to):

Adaptation to extreme weather events (e.g. heatwaves, floods, draughts)
Air pollution and health
Chronic disease prevention
Data sciences
Ecology and zoonosis
Health co-benefit of active transportation
Indigenous health promotion
Mental health and climate change
Sustainable diet
Sustainable health care system

Recruitment for ongoing research: climate and mental health in NSW

Have you noticed changes in your wellbeing due to changes in your local environment or in weather patterns? We'd like to talk to you. You can register for the study through this form. For more information on the study, download the information flyer (pdf, 256KB).

Get involved

Members of the group have been and are working with various partners in the field, such as government departments, research institutes, industries, and professional organisations, in Australia and internationally.

Examples of existing partners:

Australian Prevention Partnership Centre
Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research
Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA)
Human Health and Social Impacts Node of Adapt NSW (a collaboration between the University of Sydney, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and NSW Health)
Lancet Countdown on health and climate
NSW Ministry of Health
University of Adelaide
Wellcome Trust

Feel free to contact the Convenor and individual members for potential collaborations.

Events

Upcoming events

Monthly meetings (Online)

The group meets on the last Thursday of every month, 12-1pm Sydney Time. There will be presentations on various topics and discussions about funding opportunities, resources and support.

Please feel free to join if you are interested. Zoom link here.

Launch Event of GCCHE Western Pacific Network for Climate and Health Education & Online Western Pacific Climate and Health Responder Course on 7 March, 2025 (In-person and online)

The launch event of the Western Pacific Network for Climate and Health Education will be on 7 March 2025, Auditorium 1, Admirative Building, University of Sydney, Camperdown or online via Zoom. Please RSVP here via eventbrite. In-person spots are limited.

Event program (pdf, 152KB)

Annual Symposium (In-person and online)

The group hosts an annual symposium to promote more collaborations in the field.

Information on the 2025 fifth annual forum will be coming soon.

Past events

Annual Sustainability, Climate Change and Health Forum

The fourth annual forum was held on 11 September 2024 with over 40 participants online and in person. Speakers included public policy decision makers, academics from across Australia and community organisers. The program and event recordings are linked below:

The third annual forum was held on 7 September 2023 with over 80 participants from various sectors. We had eight presentations plus group discussions. The program is attached, and the event recordings can be accessed here:

SCHC event description (pdf, 313.3KB)
Third annual forum co-hosted with the Sydney Environment Institute

The second annual forum was held on Thursday 8 September 2022, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm, AEST. Program of the event is here.

SCHC ESR Event description - April 2023
Event description (pdf, 174.5KB)
Event recording - part 1
Event recording - part 2

Capacity building for sustainable health care, 30 Nov 2023

The event was co-hosted by the SSPH Global Health team, the Sustainability, Climate and Health Collaboration and the University Medical Centre Utrecht.

International and Australian guest speakers (educators and studenst) addressed why climate and planetary health needs to be in all health professions' curricula and presented examples to inspire more integration of climate and health education in our programs.