Engaging businesses for action on climate and health equity

Climate change is an urgent threat to the health of our members and communities, and it takes an outsized toll on low-income communities and communities of color.

Kaiser Permanente is responding to the crisis by partnering with leading business organizations to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change on health and health equity. The goal is to drive urgent climate action and new solutions.

Strategic partnerships to turn ambition into action

One key partnership is with BSR, a sustainable business network and consultancy. The global nonprofit will help launch a new business collaborative designed to bring together leaders to develop and implement a joint climate action plan with health equity at its center.

“Climate change is one of the greatest threats to health worldwide. If we’re going to solve the climate crisis, and prioritize health equity, we need collective action — no single organization, business, or sector can solve this alone,” said Greg A. Adams, chair and chief executive officer for Kaiser Permanente. “This is why Kaiser Permanente is helping bring together businesses to drive change and action. We will continue to lend our voice, resources, and leadership to ensure that health and equity are prioritized in climate action across sectors.”

Diverse perspectives on a shared goal

The new collaborative was announced June 7, 2023, at Climate Change and Health: A National Conversation. The event was the first in a speaker series created by Kaiser Permanente and the World Economic Forum to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on health and health equity.

The event featured partners across health care, business, and community-based organizations, including Google, Marriott International, Mars Inc., and the National Wildlife Federation.

By partnering with business leaders from different sectors, Kaiser Permanente aims to broaden the understanding of the business imperative for addressing climate change and how to prioritize health equity, while setting the stage for climate action.

“There are stark connections between climate, health, and equity, and health care leaders like Kaiser Permanente — who have a long history of working in these spaces — are well-equipped to help lead the dialogue and put these connections in the spotlight,” said Shyam Bishen, head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum. “Amid the world’s pressing climate crisis and the urgent need to address its disproportionate impacts on health, we must prioritize building equitable climate resilience in communities — and partnerships with businesses are a key piece of the puzzle.”

Healthier communities for all

At Kaiser Permanente, we know that we can’t protect the health and well-being of the communities we serve without prioritizing the health of their environments. We will continue our work to advance climate resilience, health equity, and mitigation, and our pursuit to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.