Climate Change and Children’s Health and Well-Being

In 2023, IEc developed a peer-reviewed report synthesizing the impacts of climate change on children’s health and well-being in the contiguous United States. Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change in part because of the natural physiology of developing and growing bodies. Exposures to climate-related stressors can occur in a variety of ways, some of which are distinctive to children, including through outdoor play and at school.

The effort involved identifying the impacts of greater concern to children, developing and implementing methods for quantifying these impacts, determining the extent to which these risks disproportionally fall on children from overburdened populations, and presenting the findings in a public-facing report. The report covers health impacts stemming from extreme heat, changes in air quality, flooding, changes in seasonality, and infectious diseases.

IEc developed a visual identity for the report by using icons, color coding, and extensive stock photo research. We developed a series of original infographics and created an engaging page layout to present the information.  In addition to the main report, IEc also produced technical appendices, an executive summary, and stylized fact sheets for target audiences (clinicians and caregivers of children).