Background and Objectives:
There are calls for urgent climate action to combat climate change, usually focused on mitigation such as renewable energy sources, protection of coastal wetlands, and agroforestry measures. However, we often ignore one of the most important tools for climate action: education. ASPHER aims to foster learning and knowledge about the relationship between health and climate change, by training not only the future health workforce but also stakeholders to develop effective climate change responses and engage in a societal transformation for a healthier future.

Methods:
ASPHER conducted an online survey to look at the implementation of climate education and climate action taken by public health institutions to provide a baseline assessment. This supported the development of ASPHER’s climate-Health implementation strategy for action through partnership-building for collective impact.

Results:
The survey results found a lack of a systematic approach and ad hoc actions by public health academic institutions. ASPHER has embodied the findings to deliver actions in practice by leveraging the EU Health Policy Platform; developing a joint climate-health education statement, and hereby receiving institutional support at various levels. This has triggered the formal development of a working group of ASPHER members to synergize climate-health education activities to support knowledge-sharing and lessons learned across institutions adopting climate-health education to its curricula.

Conclusions:
Supporting the call for climate-health education at the workforce and trainee level can catalyze long term transformation as it fosters behavioural change in traditional operations and roles. Climate-health education is more than ensuring environmental literacy but supporting the role of public health and health professionals of the most effective ways to act on climate change and to build a climate resilient health system.