P3.E085: Building a New York State Pediatric Environmental Health Legislative Advocacy Agenda

Background: Health impacts from climate change, environmental toxins and pollutants are best addressed through exposure prevention and the reduction of fossil fuel usage in our society. Pediatricians can engage in legislative advocacy to advance policies that address these issues and improve child health outcomes.

Project Description: As Chairs of Climate Change and Environmental Health Chapter Committees within District II of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and members of New York Clinicians for Climate Action (NYCCA - the NYS representative to the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health), we partner with two New York State environmental health and climate change coalitions (The Just Green Partnership and NY Renews) that are composed of numerous NY grassroots advocacy groups. Through NYCCA and District II we engage in policy advocacy with these coalitions through letter sign-ons, memoranda of support, public comments on regulations, press conferences, and legislative visits. We have submitted written testimony to the New York City Council Health Committee on pending indoor air quality legislation. We created Environmental Health and Climate Change Legislative Handouts (Figure 1) for the NYS Annual AAP Advocacy Day in both 2023 and 2024, spoke at two press conferences in the State Capitol on legislation alongside state representatives and coalition members and participated in 34 legislative visits during five advocacy days. Twelve pediatric residents joined these various advocacy activities. Three major climate bills and four pieces of environmental health legislation prioritized by our coalitions were signed into law by the New York State Governor since our activities began.

Discussion: Climate change and environmental health are important topics in which the voices of pediatricians can be a strong force to improve the health of patients and communities. Our resident participants received education about solutions to public health problems from an environmental justice perspective and practiced advocacy skills as community health leaders as part of this initiative. The barriers to advocacy engagement included conflicts with patient care responsibilities, lack of administrative time to allow for more dedicated engagement, and a dearth of environmental health and climate change discussions in medical education that makes authoritative engagement in these activities more difficult. Advocacy is an essential component of the pediatrician skillset and attention to environmental health and climate change issues in pediatric education should be a stronger priority for medical educators.

Conclusion: Through coalition building, engaging with community partners, and legislative advocacy on environmental health and climate change policy, pediatricians can hone essential advocacy skills, contribute to policy discussions as child health experts, and advance child and community health priorities in their communities.