The Impact of Climate and Environmental Change on Brain Health

A thinking organ in a shifting climate

Climate change is a defining health challenge of the 21^st century. Its effects on the heart, the lungs, and the immune system are fairly well recognized. Its effects on the brain are not.

Brain health spans neurological function, cognition, mental health, and neurodevelopment: ultimately, the foundations of human relationships, creativity, productivity, and wellbeing. Despite this central importance to human flourishing, climate policy and risk assessment have largely overlooked the brain.

This page introduces findings from a new report by the Neuro Climate Working Group, a collaborative network of 500+ neuroscientists, clinicians, and public health and policy experts. The report synthesizes the state of the science, identifies knowledge gaps, and offers a research and action agenda to protect brain health in a changing climate.