Abstract
Public health engagement in the communication, discussion, and development of climate change policies is essential for climate change policy decisions and discourse. This study examines how the existing governance approaches impact, enable, or constrain the inclusion, participation, and deliberation of public health stakeholders in the climate change policy discourse. Using the case study of the Canadian Province of Ontario, we conducted semi-structured, key informant interviews of public health (11) and non-public health (13) participants engaged in climate change policies in the province. The study results reveal that engagement and partnerships on climate change policies occurred within and across public health and non-public health organizations in Ontario. These engagements impacted public health’s roles, decisions, mandate, and capacities beyond the climate change discourse; enabled access to funds, expertise, and new stakeholders; built relationships for future engagements; supported knowledge sharing, generation, and creation; and advanced public health interests in political platforms and decision making. However, public health’s participation and deliberation were constrained by a fragmented sectoral approach, a lack of holistic inter-organizational structures and process, political and bureaucratic influences, irregular and unestablished communication channels for public health integration, and identities and culture focused on functions, mandates, biased ideologies, and a lack of clear commitment to engage public health. We conclude by providing practical approaches for integrating public health into climate change discourse and policymaking processes and advancing public health partnerships and collaborative opportunities.
Highlights
Characterized as a “wicked problem,” climate change is a contemporary phenomenon with unparalleled complexity [1,2,3]
The results report on the characteristics of participants that produced the study data and the themes that emerged and reported under two headings: influences on public health stakeholder engagements, and effects of interorganizational engagement of intersectoral engagements on public health
Many PH participants were affiliated with various public health non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Ontario and worked together in multiple committees or workgroups to promote climate change policy and advocacy
Summary
Characterized as a “wicked problem,” climate change is a contemporary phenomenon with unparalleled complexity [1,2,3]. It spans several social, environmental, and political issues; it requires the inclusion of various stakeholders and voices with different ideas about the nature of the problem. Environmental, and political issues; it requires the inclusion of various stakeholders and voices with different ideas about the nature of the problem Achieving such complex yet interrelated needs of climate change management call for sound governance [4,5,6,7,8]. Public Health 2020, 17, 6338; doi:10.3390/ijerph17176338 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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More From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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