April 22, 2026, marks Earth Day, with this year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet.” Centered on renewable energy and collective action, it serves as a timely call to engage.
From global conflicts that disrupt energy supplies to shifts in national policy, these large-scale forces are increasingly felt in our own communities. Solar panels on rooftops and electric vehicles charging in driveways have become familiar sights, even as energy costs continue to rise. What is less visible, but equally important, are the profound connections between energy and our health. These connections are not abstract; they are reflected in higher rates of childhood asthma in communities near busy roads and in evidence that cleaner air could extend life expectancy by as much as one year and eight months.
Higher education can help us connect the dots here, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help create a world that leaves no one behind. It does this by:
- Advancing knowledge frontiers to address the world’s most pressing issues through curiosity-driven and socially impactful research and innovation.
- Supporting the development of responsible citizens as scholars, leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals through teaching and learning.
- Being active in civic and community settings, working in partnership with other stakeholders, as place-makers and anchor institutions.
Given the fierce urgency of (un)sustainable development, the climate crisis, and widening inequity within and between countries, universities and colleges need to do more and go faster to deliver fully on their potential to help achieve the SDGs.
The Rutgers School of Public Health is at the vanguard of advancing social progress, creating “solutions of science and solutions of social reform”, driving workforce development, and championing community action. From undertaking laboratory research to developing policy initiatives, the school is creating new courses and programs that reflect our universities' power to protect people and the planet.
The Rutgers School of Public Health’s new Master of Sustainability and Health launches in Fall 2026. This innovative program focuses on leadership and governance in driving sustainable transformation, as well as on how we can move from commitment to action on sustainability. Given the scale of transformational change, we need to effect a just transition, courses focus on connecting the global goals to practical local public health interventions and those we can take in our health systems. A move to change our energy mix and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels is a healthful change. But to do so, we need higher education institutions to be part of creating the workforce that will lead the charge, upskilling and retraining workers displaced by such a change, as well as conducting research on alternative energy sources and their health impacts.
Energy choices matter to our planet and to public health. Despite some promising health gains, with many able to live longer, healthier lives, growing health inequities remain a scourge on society. The rising costs of healthcare leave many without coverage or pushed into poverty, with systemic failures to invest in preventative and public health measures. Even in some developed nations, the longevity of the current generation is less than that of their parents, while developing countries continue to struggle to develop universal health systems that meet growing demands.
We need to harness the power of higher education and its core activities of education, research, community engagement, and civic leadership, to make wide-ranging and transformative change. As Earthday.org reminds us, “Progress does not happen in silence. It happens when people show up. Every action counts. Every voice matters.” So, please find an event near you or create your own and invite the world to join you.
