This special collection from Intersections: The Education Journal of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center describes educational initiatives within the Emory health professional schools and Emory Healthcare that address climate change.  This collection of seven manuscripts features collaborations from an impressively large group of 33 current and former students, staff, and faculty authors across four schools-Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and Law.  The initiatives described engage learners at various levels, from pre-clinical students to practicing professionals.  They provide proof of concept that faculty and learners can partner to integrate relevant, evidence-based climate and health content into existing curricula, primarily, by embedding it within traditionally emphasized topics rather than treating it as a standalone subject.

As educational innovation reports and origin stories, these contributions reflect the relative youth of academic scholarship on climate change and planetary health in the health professions and provide examples of the diversity of pedagogical approaches being employed. Collectively, they underscore the opportunity—and imperative—for educators, students, and clinicians to collaborate across health professions and disciplines to meet patient and community health needs during the climate crisis.  Many of the manuscripts highlight a commitment to expanding the interprofessional dimensions of these educational activities and to strengthening evaluation strategies and learner assessments.  

At this critical juncture-when adapting to climate change and mitigating its health-related harms are urgent priorities-the Emory Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Emory Healthcare are uniquely positioned to bridge academic inquiry and clinical operations. By designing and implementing innovative educational interventions, they can prepare future clinicians both to respond to climate-related health challenges and to deliver more environmentally sustainable care.  Educational research, including rigorous evaluation of these initiatives, will be essential to guiding the transformation of the healthcare sector in the face of climate change. 

This nascent collection represents a foundational step in that transformation. It offers a snapshot of a growing movement within health professions education-one that recognizes climate change as a defining issue for 21^st century healthcare. As the field evolves, we hope this special issue will serve as both a resource and a catalyst, inspiring further scholarship, collaboration, and curricular innovation at Emory and beyond.