Climate change is no longer a distant environmental issue; it is a present and growing public health challenge. From record-breaking heatwaves to shifting patterns of infectious diseases, the impacts of a warming climate are being felt across the UK. Public health professionals are on the frontlines of this challenge, and the field is rapidly evolving in response. This evolution is creating new career opportunities and transforming existing roles in the UK public health sector.
Whether you are a job seeker, student, current professional, or employer, it is important to understand how climate change is reshaping public health work. In this blog post, we explore how climate change is impacting health in the UK, the initiatives underway to protect communities, the emerging specialisms and jobs in this space, and how you can prepare for a climate-focused public health career.
Climate Change and Public Health: Emerging Challenges
Climate change affects many of the fundamental determinants of health. In fact, it will have significant effects on air quality, the spread of pests and communicable diseases, the frequency of extreme weather events, critical infrastructure, and food and water security. These impacts are not just theoretical; they are already evident. For example, when the UK experienced 40°C heat for the first time in 2022, an estimated 3,000 excess deaths occurred during that summer’s extreme heatwave.
Prolonged heat and hotter summers can also worsen air pollution, such as ground-level ozone, aggravating respiratory conditions. At the same time, warmer temperatures and changing ecosystems are altering disease patterns. There is a real risk of mosquito-borne illnesses becoming established in the UK as the climate warms. We have seen unusually strong heatwaves, wildfires, and floods in recent years, and these events are increasing in scale, frequency, and intensity, stretching health services to their limits.
Crucially, climate change does not affect everyone equally. Those already facing health inequalities are likely to be hit hardest. Older adults, people with underlying health conditions, and lower-income communities are at increased risk from climate-related hazards like extreme heat and floods. For instance, residents of disadvantaged areas often live in homes or neighborhoods more vulnerable to flooding or poor air quality. This means climate change can widen existing health gaps if we do not respond effectively.
The good news is that public health agencies recognize these challenges, and there is a strong commitment to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable groups. Across the UK, climate change is now seen as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century but also a catalyst for action to create healthier, more resilient communities.
The Public Health Response: New Initiatives and Strategies
To tackle these threats, the public health system is mobilizing at every level. National agencies, the NHS, and local authorities have all launched initiatives to ensure our health security in a changing climate.
National Leadership: UKHSA’s Centre for Climate & Health Security A major step came with the launch of the UK Health Security Agency’s Centre for Climate & Health Security. This centre is the UK’s go-to place for information and scientific advice on climate change and public health impacts. Its mission is to ensure climate change and extreme weather are factored into health system planning and to support local authorities in navigating climate-related risks.
The Centre leads UKHSA’s climate-health activities, partnering with academia, local government, and other sectors to develop evidence-based tools. For example, it is developing climate-health indicators and an online evidence hub to help professionals track and analyze climate impacts on health. It is also creating a local authority climate risk assessment toolkit so councils can map health vulnerabilities, recognizing that coastal, rural, and urban areas face different threats. These efforts signal that climate resilience is now a core part of health security planning.
Greener NHS: Sustainability and Adaptation in Healthcare The NHS, as the UK’s largest health employer, is also transforming how it operates in the face of climate change. The NHS became the world’s first health system to commit to net zero emissions, pledging to reach net zero for its direct emissions by 2040. Achieving this Greener NHS goal has led to every NHS Trust developing a Green Plan and investing in sustainability. Hospitals are cutting energy use, shifting to renewable power, electrifying vehicle fleets, reducing waste, and sourcing low-carbon medical supplies, all of which creates demand for new skills and roles.
At the same time, the NHS recognizes that climate adaptation is just as critical as mitigation. Healthcare facilities must be prepared to cope with more frequent heatwaves, floods, and other extremes. The impacts are already being felt; during the record-breaking heat of summer 2022, nearly 3,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in England across all age groups. Such events underscore the urgent need to make hospitals and clinics more resilient to weather shocks.
The NHS has responded with a comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation plan. This includes stress-testing critical infrastructure, like water, energy, and IT systems, against climate risks, improving building designs, and planning for continuity of care during extreme events. All these initiatives signal that the health service is mainstreaming climate action, integrating it into everything from estate management to clinical care guidelines.
Local Action: Climate and Health Programs in Communities Local authorities and health boards are on the frontline of protecting communities from climate-related health risks. Directors of Public Health in councils are using their unique position at the nexus of public health, planning, housing, and social care to drive climate-health initiatives locally.
For example, in East Sussex, the county’s public health team set up a healthy places partnership with urban planners, creating a formal agreement that health considerations are built into climate change strategies. This joined-up approach ensures that new developments contribute both to cutting carbon and to improving residents’ health. In Trafford, the council’s public health and transport teams collaborated on a School Streets scheme which restricts car traffic outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times. The result is safer, cleaner air zones where children are encouraged to walk or cycle. The benefits have been multi-fold, including increased physical activity for students, better air quality, and even improved educational outcomes.
These examples show how local public health teams are innovating on the ground, tailoring climate solutions to local needs. Crucially, they aim to deliver co-benefits: cutting emissions or improving resilience while also tackling health inequalities. Public health leaders stress that climate actions must not leave anyone behind; every community should have access to protections like cooling centers in heatwaves or improved insulation in homes, regardless of income.
Emerging Job Roles and Specialisms in Climate Health
As the public health sector ramps up its climate response, new career paths are emerging. Employers are seeking professionals who can bridge health expertise with environmental and sustainability knowledge. Here are some of the key climate-related roles and specialisms coming to the forefront of public health:
- Environmental Epidemiologists and Climate Scientists: These specialists study the links between environmental change and health outcomes. In the UK, public health agencies are hiring experts to analyze climate data, model future health risks, and advise on policy. For example, within the Centre for Climate & Health Security, scientists are tasked with providing expert advice on the human health effects of climate change, conducting data analysis on environmental hazards, and supporting climate change adaptation policy. A related niche is medical entomology and zoonoses, essentially the epidemiology of climate-sensitive diseases.
- Sustainability and Net Zero Officers: Across the NHS and local authorities, there is a growing need for sustainability professionals to drive carbon reduction and green initiatives. NHS Trusts are appointing Sustainability Managers, Officers, and Net Zero Leads responsible for implementing Green Plans. The job involves leading the sustainability strategy and coordinating projects in waste management, sustainable transport, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. In local councils, similar roles exist to integrate climate action into public health and community well-being programs.
- Climate Resilience and Adaptation Planners: With the increasing strain of extreme weather on health services, a new cadre of resilience planners is emerging in the health sector. These professionals focus on preparing health systems and communities for climate impacts; essentially, climate-proofing our health infrastructure and emergency response. We are starting to see dedicated roles such as Climate Change Adaptation Lead or Climate Resilience Manager in healthcare organisations. Because relatively few organisations have had these roles until recently, this is a growth area. It is ideal for those with experience in emergency planning, disaster risk reduction, or community resilience who can apply that expertise to climate change.
- Public Health Communications and Policy Specialists: As climate change becomes a mainstream public health concern, there is a need for professionals who can effectively communicate risks and engage communities. Roles in health promotion and policy are adapting to include a climate focus; for example, crafting public messaging about staying safe during heatwaves or advising policymakers on health-based climate actions. Public health practitioners with strong communication skills might find opportunities in such advocacy and education roles, helping translate climate science into guidance that the public and decision-makers can act on.
It is worth noting that many traditional public health roles are also evolving to include climate competencies. Environmental Health Officers, for example, are incorporating climate risks into their inspections and advice. This ranges from monitoring air quality and housing conditions in heatwaves to ensuring water and food safety after floods. In short, climate health is becoming part of everyone’s job in public health, even as these new specialist roles develop.
Pathways into Climate-Related Public Health Roles: Advice for Job Seekers
The fast-growing intersection of climate change and public health offers exciting opportunities for those looking to make a difference. Here are some tips on how to prepare for and pursue a career in this field:
- Build Relevant Knowledge and Skills: A strong foundation in public health science is important, and so is understanding climate science basics. If you are currently studying or training, seek out modules or projects on environmental health, climate change, or sustainability. Upskilling is increasingly accessible. For example, NHS England has introduced a Carbon Literacy for Healthcare e-learning program to help staff understand how extreme weather and carbon emissions affect patients.
- Gain Experience Through Projects and Volunteering: Practical experience can set you apart. Look for opportunities to work on climate and health initiatives. This might be a university dissertation on heatwave health impacts, a volunteer role with an environmental health team, or a quality improvement project in your hospital department to reduce waste.
- Stay Informed on Policy and Developments: The landscape of climate and health policy is dynamic. Keep an eye on key publications and strategies, such as reports on the health effects of climate change in the UK. Government strategies such as the National Adaptation Programme and sectoral plans are worth familiarizing yourself with. They signal priority areas and may hint at what skills will be in demand.
- Highlight Transferable Skills and Passion: When applying to roles, do not worry if you do not have climate in your job titles yet. Instead, emphasize relevant skills and your passion for sustainability. Communication skills are also critical; public health needs professionals who can explain to the public why climate change is a health emergency and motivate action without causing undue alarm.
- Consider Further Qualifications or Certifications: If you want to deepen your expertise, there are growing academic options at the interface of climate and health. Additionally, professional certifications in sustainability or membership in professional bodies can bolster your credentials for certain roles.
The key message is one of hopeful action. While climate change poses unprecedented challenges, it is also driving innovation and purposeful careers in public health. In conclusion, climate change is reshaping the public health landscape in the UK. It brings new risks, yes, but also galvanizes the workforce to respond with creativity and dedication. From local councils hiring climate specialists to the NHS embedding sustainability in its core mission, there is a forward-looking momentum that is creating diverse roles at all levels. It is an exciting time to be in this field, with the chance to make a meaningful impact on both people and the planet.