Symposium 4: Psychological effects of climate change: impacts and strategies

Climate change effects our safety and health at the workplace – including our mental health. This influence takes direct and indirect pathways in the short-term as well as in the long-term. Also the mere awareness of climate change in our daily life can lead to altered emotional states and thus, affect our daily life. In this symposium we will investigate the psychological impact of climate change, potential threats, and measures to prevent possible hazards in our working life. During this symposium, we will discuss the current state of the art in research dealing with climate change and psychological effects and possible protective measures. Research gaps are identified, suitable measures are derived and potentials for future international synergies are discussed in order to facilitate healthy and safe work under the altered conditions of climate change.

Moderators:

• Dr Marlen Cosmar
  Institute for Work and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IAG), Germany
• Dr Shouro Dasgupta
  Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC)
  Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE

Speakers:

• Katharina Van Bronswijk
  Psychologists for Future, Germany
• Anne Tennier
  Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), Canada