This strategy outlines priorities for the next 5 years to address the health and wellbeing impacts of climate change. It sets out actions which will build healthy, climate-resilient communities, and a sustainable, resilient, high-quality, net zero health system.

People in Australia are already experiencing the impacts of climate change on their health and wellbeing. Climate change is worsening environmental hazards, such as:

• extreme heat
• dangerous floods and fires
• air pollution
• drought

These all have negative effects on human health and wellbeing: they cause death, disease, injury, and mental and emotional distress. This means there is an urgent need to build the climate resilience of Australian communities and the health system.

The 4 core objectives of the strategy are:

• Health system resilience: build a climate-resilient health system and enhance its capacity to protect health and wellbeing from the impacts of climate change.
• Health system decarbonisation: build a sustainable, high quality, net zero health system.
• International collaboration: collaborate internationally to build sustainable, climate-resilient health systems and communities.
• Health in all policies: support healthy, climate-resilient and sustainable communities through whole-of-government action which recognises the relationship between health and climate outcomes.