We are pleased to announce the publication of a new article, “Public Engagement with Climate Change and Health: A Global Literature Review,” in the journal EcoHealth.
As the health impacts of climate change become increasingly severe and far-reaching, understanding how the public perceives and responds to information on this topic is critical. To provide a synthesis of the evidence on this topic, we reviewed 93 studies published between 2000 and 2023 across English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish language sources.
Our review organizes findings into four key themes:
- Public perceptions of climate change and health
- Effectiveness of health-framed messages about climate change
- Public responses to information about the health risks of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions
- The depolarizing potential of health messaging
Emphasizing the health risks of climate change alongside the potential health benefits of solutions makes the issue more tangible and relevant, while also reducing its political divisiveness. Information about health harms—particularly when paired with information about what can be done to address those harms—can increase support for clean energy transitions and climate action. Likewise, communicating the health benefits of climate solutions can strengthen policy support, advocacy intentions, and personal action. Messages that combine risks, solutions, and clear calls to action are most effective. Visual storytelling featuring real people experiencing climate-related health impacts or benefiting from solutions further enhances credibility and motivation to act.
Our review also identified significant research gaps. Most large, representative studies come from the Global North, leaving limited understanding of public perceptions in the Global South, where climate-related health risks are often greatest. Additional research is needed to examine how cultural, social, and contextual factors influence responses to health-focused climate messaging. Strategies for communicating climate inequities, such as the disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, remain significantly underexplored.
This review offers insights for communicators, policymakers, and researchers on developing evidence-informed strategies to engage the public around the health impacts of climate change and encourage action.
The full, open-access article is available here from EcoHealth.
On behalf of the research team: Sri Saahitya Uppalapati, Eryn Campbell, John Kotcher, Kathryn Thier, Patrick Ansah, Neha Gour, and Edward Maibach