The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Communities of Practice (CoP) is a local knowledge exchange forum comprising researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse groups, public health practitioners, climate change and environmental protection bodies, and others who will lead transformation research to define and inform changes to the ACT population health, health care, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection systems.
The ACT CoP works to bridge key gaps in knowledge, practice and policy for climate, the environment and health in the region and outside of it. It wants an ecologically sustainable and climate / environmental change resilient community and health system that will achieve optimal wellbeing for residents of the ACT region, but ultimately for all populations.
The CoP works within the context of the current ACT Climate Change, Wellbeing and Health Strategies and policy environment, where Canberrans are supportive of change, but the health care and environmental protection systems can in cases be more resistant to transformation.
It seeks to find innovative and collaborative ways to overcome divisions and barriers, while evaluating and supporting policies and interventions that can bring multiple health, environmental, and societal benefits.
Priorities
- Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aiming to reduce smoke pollution from bushfire in summer and wood heaters in winter.
- Resilience and sustainability of built environments (e.g. housing, transport): heat resilience, flood resilience, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, greenspace, health equity (e.g. in relation to rental homes)
- Health system climate resilience and carbon footprint reduction.
- Expanding and improving sustainable food systems.
Hub Co-Leads
Associate Professor
Professor
