Climate Change, Health and Equity

Climate Change, Health and Equity (CCHE) is a cross disciplinary coalition between the Just Health and Just Energy teams of the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE). Together, the groups maximize their capacities through community organizing, leadership development and coalition building.

Just Health is PSE’s framework to advance health equity.

Health Equity refers to the fair and just opportunity for individuals to achieve optimal health.

Just Energy is PSE’s framework to advance energy equity.

Energy Equity refers to a fair distribution of benefits and burdens from energy production and consumption.

The Partnership for Southern Equity’s Climate Change, Health, and Equity initiative (CCHE) looks to mitigate environmental health issues in Southwest Atlanta.

• Poor urban planning and racist zoning policy have led to various health issues amongst communities of color in Atlanta's Southwest region.

• Major infrastructure projects such as I-20, have historically marginalized communities of color leading to poverty and health disparities.

• Today, air and noise pollution from I-20 contribute to disproportionate rates of lung cancer, asthma, and other respiratory problems in marginalized groups.

• Flash flooding is very common in the region and directly effects Black and Brown communities.

• Poor sewage and storm draining systems further the environmental health disparities in the area.

• Low income communities in Atlanta's Southwest region face a myriad of additional issues including food insecurity, energy inefficiency, heat island effects and lack of employment opportunities.

The CCHE initiative will help to address these concerns by engaging and partnering with local and state governments, public and private businesses, academic institutions, community members, advocates, and local organizations. Through collaboration and community-based outreach, environmental health goals in Southwest Atlanta can be reached.

1. Institutional Investments
2. Health Care and Public Health Practitioners
3. Community-Based Advocacy

Our vision is to build the capacity of health institutions by engaging practitioners and strengthening community- based leadership in a way that addresses the needs and priorities of low-income, urban communities.

Transportation and Infrastructure

• Support climate adaptive transportation planning and response in climate-related emergency events

• Advance installation of buffer zones in neighborhoods near 1-20 to reduce pollution that causes health disparities

• Address “heat island effects” that contribute to the overall lower quality of living for communities of color

Energy Efficiency

• Create a plan to reduce energy costs, open cooling centers and support development of clean energy projects

• Partner with the city of Atlanta to accelerate repairs to mitigate flooding from inadequate sewer systems

• Collaborate with partners to promote the creation of energy efficient, affordable housing and energy efficiency programs

• Empower community leaders to advocate for remediation of flooding issues

Health Goals

• Minimize the impact of childhood asthma and adult chronic respiratory illness on marginalized communities

Job Development Goals

• Assess green job opportunities to inform workforce and entrepreneurship strategies