In the sixth and final paper of the Lancet Series on Health and Climate Change, a call to action is issued to key groups to realise the ancillary health benefits that reducing greenhouse-gas emissions can bring. These health 'co-benefits' will be additional to the benefits that will accrue as a result of reducing the magnitude of climate change. The paper is written by Professor Sir Andrew Haines, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and colleagues.
The authors say: "Climate change threatens the health of human populations worldwide, but particularly in low-income countries. These adverse health consequences are among the many important reasons why governments need collectively to act with resolution and urgency to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions. What has been less widely understood, however, is that policies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions (climate change mitigation policies) could often have more immediate and potentially large effects on population health. These ancillary effects are important not only because they can provide an additional rationale to pursue mitigation strategies, but also because progress has been slow to address international health priorities such as the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reductions in health inequities. Mitigation measures can thus offer an opportunity not only to reduce the risks of climate change but also, if well chosen and implemented, to deliver improvements in health—the so-called co-benefits of mitigation."
They add: "Despite uncertainties about the magnitude and timescale, health co-benefits from mitigation can be anticipated. Therefore, commitment to mitigation actions producing many such benefits becomes very appealing, especially if (as is likely) the health gains entail substantial national cost savings as an offset to the costs of the mitigation actions."
The paper makes a call to action to policy makers who can influence domains such as household energy, transport, food and agriculture and electricity generation which are responsible for emissions of large amounts of greenhouse gases, including in some cases short-lived greenhouse pollutants such as black carbon. They suggest taking into account health co-benefits and potential harms when considering greenhouse-gas mitigation strategies, to enhance progress towards, for example, the MDGs and other health priorities. Policies should also be enacted to promote equitable access to clean energy sources, to encourage reductions in the consumption of animal products in high-consuming nations, and to prioritise cycling and walking over private-car use in cities.
The authors call on research funders to increase funding for interdisciplinary collaboration between health researchers and climate change scientists; to support career development of researchers in these areas; and to lead by example by promoting strategies and policies for low greenhouse-gas emissions in their own working environment and in their allocation of funding.
Finally, doctors and other health professionals should advocate for policies that reduce emissions while achieving health benefits based on the best evidence. They should also promote education on the topic in schools, universities, and the community, and as above promote reduced emissions policies in their own working environment.
The authors also discuss bridging the equity divide—despite much damage having already been done by high-income countries, all countries must work together to reduce emissions. The authors say: "Policies to promote mitigation activities that have strong co-benefits in health and other development needs provide a potential political bridge across the development gap between rich and poor countries. These initiatives would directly address the major needs of development, with recognition of the imperatives of climate change."
They conclude: "The potential co-benefits from selected mitigation measures for greenhouse-gas emissions should heighten the profile of health as a criterion in discussions at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, 2009. So far, awareness of the importance and long-term significance of health to the challenges of climate change has been low. Health professionals therefore have an important role in educating the public and policy makers about the health aspects of climate change, including the potential health co-benefits of mitigation measures for greenhouse gases."
To interview Professor Sir Andrew Haines, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, please contact London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Press Office. T) +44 (0) 20 7927 2073 E) Sally.Hall@lshtm.ac.uk / Gemma.Howe@lshtm.ac.uk / andy.haines@lshtm.ac.uk
For full Series paper 6, see: http://press.thelancet.com/tlhacc6.pdf
Journal
The Lancet