Climate and health education and training

Access training, learning resources, and case-studies

Training, learning, and case-studies on climate change and health

Training courses

The ASPHER Climate and Health Working Group and the Global Consortium of Climate Change and Health Education (GCCHE) have developed a free online course on climate change and health, which is currently in its 2^nd edition. The course aims to engage public health staff, the wider health workforce and other professionals interested in climate change and health by facilitating their involvement in policy and advocacy related to climate adaptation and mitigation, as well as research that supports decision-making across sectors.

Access the course:

Learning resources

Training manuals and learning materials on clilamte change and health available from different sources:

WHO training manuals and educational materials on a wide range of topics related to climate change and human health.
WMO-WHO joint portal climahealth.info includes a library of e-learning resources on various aspects of climate and health
ASPHER Climate and Health Education and Trainings Repository, launched in early 2025, is the first pan-European repository specifically dedicated to climate and health education programmes across the WHO European Region. Hosted on ASPHER’s website and openly accessible, the repository enables over 130 member institutions to contribute and update detailed profiles of their climate and health curricula, including degree programmes, short courses, and continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities. The catalogue serves as a public-facing hub for those seeking education and training in this field; but also allows scientists and policy makers to track progress over time and identify strengths and gaps in climate and health education. The repository us currently in a pilot phase.

Case studies

Case studies collected by the Observatory on professional training and engagement initiatives for healthcare professionals in Europe:

Climate-health education gap

Climate change is not widely taught to health and public health students in Europe

In 2020, 25% (153 out of 592) of medical schools in Europe provided formal climate change education. In addition, in 20% of the schools (118 out of 592), student-led learning activities involved topics related to climate change and health, according to unpublished results of a survey conducted by the International Federation of Medical Students Association. These numbers are higher than the global findings (15% and 12%, respectively).
A higher proportion – 64% (29 out of 45) – of European schools of public health provided climate and health education in 2020 (Orhan et al., 2021)

Lack of knowledge about climate change may affect medical practice and public health action

Medical practice, and specifically primary care, plays a crucial role in climate change adaptation (Litke et al., 2024). Beyond providing diagnostics and treatment, doctors and nurses are among the most trusted professionals in Europe (Ipsos, 2024). Therefore, they can effectively alert their patients to the risks linked to climate-related hazards, such as extreme weather events or emerging infectious diseases.
The awareness of medical practitioners needs to be increased further to better cope with consequences of climate change (Litke et al., 2024). In 2022, three quarters of doctors and nurses in France, Germany and the UK had no environmental literacy support and lacked the time, resources, and education to educate patients about the impacts of climate change, according to The Economist survey.
Effective climate and health education equips public health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement adaptive strategies, advocate for sustainable policies, and build resilient health systems.

Calls and commitment to more education and training on climate change for health and public health professionals and students

The joint statement by the EU Health Policy Platform's thematic network 'Climate action through public health education and training' (2022) led by the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) emphasises that public health and healthcare professionals require core training and continuous professional development to improve their understanding of the links between climate and health and to make it a priority in their work. It calls for an update of curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and continuous professional development by including concepts such as One Health and Planetary Health. The joint statement was endorsed by nearly 100 professional bodies, civil society organisations and universities in public health and healthcare.
The International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), in its 2021 roadmap for action on health and climate change, committed to enhancing capacity, competence and training through peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing between institutes to support them in their development as key climate actors
In 2022, at ministerial level, the G7 Health Ministers' Communiqué committed member countries to addressing the health impacts of climate change and to building climate-resilient, sustainable and climate-neutral health systems. It includes the aim to incorporate climate change-related aspects into the education and training of healthcare and public health professionals.
The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), representing national medical associations across Europe, in its 2023 policy on climate change and health, called on the EU, its Member States and local policymakers to act, ensuring that medical students, doctors and other healthcare professionals are trained to inform people about the health impacts of climate change and treat patients affected by them.
In July 2023, the WHO European region member countries adopted the declaration of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health organised by WHO/Europe in July 2023 in Budapest. The countries committed, among other things, to strengthen the climate-literacy of health professionals to empower them to respond to climate health impacts and engage meaningfully on climate change policy development in the health sector.
At the international level, the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health (2023) commits the 148 signatory countries, amongst other priorities, to improving the ability of health systems to anticipate and implement climate adaptation interventions by a climate-ready health workforce.
Launched in 2017, the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) is a global network of health professions schools and programs, including schools and programs of public health, medicine, and nursing with the secretariat hosted at Columbia University.
In 2024, the European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE), led by the University of Glasgow, was set up as a GCCHE regional network with the aim of equipping the next generation of medics with the knowledge and insights to deliver sustainable healthcare practices and support the transition to patient-centric, net-zero health systems. The network is open to new members.

State of climate change education in public health schools in Europe

The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) track the evolution of climate and health training in schools of public health in Europe.

Key findings

Widespread Adoption: In Europe, in 2024, over 80% of surveyed schools of public health offered climate and health education, compared to 66% globally (Sorensen et al., 2024).
Diverse Educational Levels: Climate-related topics are incorporated across vocational, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Master’s programmes have the highest integration of this topic.
Core Competencies: Institutions focus on eight key domains, with strong coverage in "Fundamental Science" and "Health System Strategies." However, gaps remain in practical skills, such as stakeholder engagement.

Detailed findings

Among the 66 schools of public health institutions surveyed, 53 institutions (80%) provided climate and health education (Sorensen et al., 2024; see Figure 1). This can be seen as progress from 2020, when 64% of schools of public health in the European region offered climate and health education (Orhan et al., 2021).
Among the 53 institutions providing climate and health education in 2024, 60% incorporated these themes as part of their mandatory core curriculum and 40% offered them as elective modules (some institutions offer both).
Most schools of public health offering climate and health courses were found in Germany, UK, Italy and Portugal.

Master’s programmes most frequently incorporate climate change education into public health, followed by doctoral level (see Figure 2). Some schools of public health in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK have established robust programmes that integrate climate and health education across multiple academic levels.
Across all education levels, most climate and health education programmes have been established within the last 5 years. Only a few schools reported to have taught on the topic for more than 10 years.