Arts, Health and Climate Policy Brief
This policy brief explores the vital role of the arts in addressing the health impacts of climate change. It offers practical, evidence-based recommendations for integrating artistic practice into climate and health policy, communication, and community resilience strategies.
The brief is aimed at policymakers, public health professionals, artists, cultural institutions, and funders working at the intersection of environment and health.
Partners
Publications
Policy Brief
Role of the arts and culture in addressing the health impacts of climate change
Introduction
Climate change and health are among the most pressing, interconnected challenges of our time. As global experts increasingly recognise that “the climate crisis is a health crisis,” there is growing urgency to explore new tools and strategies for adaptation, communication, and resilience.
This policy brief addresses how the arts can:
- Help mitigate climate-related health risks
- Communicate those risks effectively to a wide range of communities
- Support adaptive capacity—promoting behaviours and systems that build resilience
It will serve as a vital resource for policymakers, funders, health professionals, cultural institutions, and climate advocates.
Insights & Deliverables
The policy brief is one outcome of a larger research project launched in May 2024, which explores the intersection of arts, health, and climate.
The brief is grounded in a rapid review of existing literature, highlighting how the arts contribute to climate-related education, advocacy, mitigation, and adaptation. It also draws on insights from an international expert survey and a public call for resources, which surfaced artist-led approaches from around the world—many of them outside traditional academic research.
Project Team
Co-Leads:
- Dr Nisha Sajnani (Jameel Arts & Health Lab, NYU Steinhardt)
- Dr Nils Fietje (Jameel Arts & Health Lab, WHO/Europe)
- Dr Ameer Shaheed (WHO/Europe)
Contributors: Members from the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, NYU Steinhardt, Art & Climate Initiative, Community Arts Network, Dalhousie University, Harvard University, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, King’s College London, Museum for the United Nations, University of Hertfordshire, Yale University, and York University.
Funding & Support
This policy brief is supported by the WHO Europe and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab & the NYU Climate Research Seed Award Grant.