Health care’s critical role in achieving climate and environmental justice
In the final days leading up to the Massachusetts House vote on H.4912: An act creating a 2050 roadmap to a clean and thriving economy (“The 2050 Roadmap Bill”) two members of Health Care Without Harm’s Health Care Climate Council signed a letter urging lawmakers to include environmental justice protections as part of this much-anticipated climate legislation. Boston Medical Center and Mass General Brigham were two of 10 signatories stating, “Every member of our community deserves to be protected from pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthy environment. This should not be dependent on race, income, class, handicap, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity or ancestry, religious belief, or English language proficiency.”
Nationally, environmental justice advocates and their allies have worked for years to establish equal protection from harm for communities that have historically and disproportionately been burdened by environmental pollution. In May, the American Public Health Association declared racism a public health crisis. There is also increasing recognition of the devastation of climate change on public health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made connections between racial justice and public and environmental health more pronounced. The disparate impacts of the virus on residents of low-income communities and communities of color, who are also most vulnerable to air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels, underscores the imperative to anchor climate action in racial justice. This is reflected in a national call to action led by the Title VI Alliance urging Congress to pass important environmental justice legislation. Some states are also taking steps to pass environmental justice laws.
In Massachusetts, Health Care Without Harm worked to mobilize support for legislation to accelerate the state’s transition to a clean energy economy while providing stronger protections for those overburdened by air pollution and environmental injustice. Passage of a comprehensive energy bill in the House that includes critical updates to the state’s outdated environmental justice policy is welcome progress in a 20-year push to codify protections for communities most vulnerable to poor health outcomes linked to air pollution and the worst effects of climate change.
While the burden of COVID-19 and climate change on marginalized communities is not unique to Massachusetts, the push for policy solutions to address the unequal effects of climate pollution locally was bolstered by analysis from the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey (AGO) illustrating the disproportionate effects of the virus on the state’s environmental justice communities. The AGO spoke publicly supporting bold climate legislation that includes codification of environmental justice protections.
Environmental justice provisions were included as part of the 2050 Roadmap Bill, thanks to the tireless work of environmental justice leaders – including ACE, GreenRoots, and Neighbor to Neighbor – along with the collective efforts of advocates and allies. While the bill has some steps to go before becoming law, health care has emerged as a new ally in the fight to protect the communities they serve from environmental injustice and climate change.
Climate justice is fundamental to community resilience. As the only sector with healing as its mission, health care is well-positioned to play a critical role in the adoption and implementation of environmental justice protections locally and nationally. Health Care Without Harm remains committed to working with the health sector to weave climate justice into facility and community resilience efforts.
