The actions that we need to take to avoid severe climate change will help us in the short-term to improve health. This report from the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences covers the latest evidence about health co-benefits from climate change mitigation and adaptation.
I contributed to the section on buildings, where we argued that increasing energy efficiency in homes can reduce cold-related deaths. We make the point that integrated design is needed to avoid risking overheating and poor ventilation.
Other sections in the report include Energy Use, Transport, Food, Natural Environment, Employment, Healthcare Systems and Global health implications of the UK’s transition to net-zero.
The report offers 4 recommendations, including:
- Incorporating health into the climate narrative
- Integrating climate adaptation and mitigation policies to benefit health
- Developing metrics to assess health impacts
- Promoting transdisciplinary systems approaches to address the complex interaction between climate change mitigation and health
Report: ‘A healthy future – tackling climate change mitigation and human health together’
Published in September 2021