Human health as a motivator for climate change mitigation: results from four European high-income countries

Abstract

Invoking health benefits to promote climate-friendly household behavior has three unique advantages: (i) health co-benefits accrue directly to the acting individual, they are "private goods" rather than public ones; (ii) the evidence base and magnitude of health co-benefits is well-established; and (iii) the idea of a healthy lifestyle is well-engrained in public discourse, much more so than that of climate-friendly lifestyle. In previous research assessing the influence of information on health effects on people's motivation to adopt mitigation actions, health co-benefits for the individual were typically confounded with collective health cobenefits, for example from pollution reduction. The present research aims to overcome this limitation by providing information on individual health co-benefits that are unconditional on the actions of others (direct health co-benefits). We report effects of this kind of health information on stated preferences to adopt mitigation actions as well as on simulation-based carbon emission reductions in an experimental setting among 308 households in 4 mid-size case-study cities in 4 European high-income countries: France, Germany, Norway and Sweden. For each mitigation action from the sectors food, housing, and mobility, half of the sample received the amount of CO2equivalents (CO2-eq) saved and the financial costs or savings the respective action generated. The other half additionally received information on direct health co-benefits, where applicable. For households receiving information on direct health co-benefits, we find a higher mean willingness to adopt food and housing actions, and a greater proportion very willing to adopt one or more mitigation actions (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.1, 3.12); and a greater simulated reduction in overall carbon footprint: difference in percent reduction-2.70%, (95% CI-5.34,-0.04) overall and-4.45%, (95% CI-8.26,-0.64) for food. Our study is the first to show that providing information on strictly unconditional, individual health co-benefits can motivate households in high-income countries to adopt mitigation actions.

The Impact of Awe Induced by COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Consumption Behavior in China

“…Furthermore, this study contributes to consolidate the use of the theory of awe to explain green consumption behavior, showing new results that help to clarify the mediational role of environmental concern and risk aversion to predicting green consumption behavior. For example, Amelung, et al [ 50 ] have found that the individual health co-benefits can promote climate-friendly household behavior, and Lee, et al [ 51 ] have also found that factors related to public awareness and risk perception are critical to public participation and support for climate action. More, the findings may help to better understand the relationship between climate change and consumer behavior [ 52 , 53 , 54 ].…”

The Role of Health in Households’ Balancing Act for Lifestyles Compatible with the Paris Agreement—Qualitative Results from Mannheim, Germany

“…When considering the broader findings from both the qualitative results on the "balancing act for sustainable behavior" and quantitative HOPE results about the general preference of households, another explanation for the different effect of health information in the food and the mobility sector seems to fit: The food sector was generally the sector, where people were most willing to change their behavior, while the mobility sector was the one they were least willing to do so [65,66] In the quantitative data no relevant differences in between countries were found [57,65].…”

“…The QUANTITATIVE part of the HOPE study showed that additional information about direct health co-benefits increased households stated mean willingness to implement climate change mitigation actions in the food and housing sector, but not in the mobility sector [57].…”

Health Synergies across International Sustainability and Development Agendas: Pathways to Strengthen National Action

“…In all, there is a uni-directionality in how health is approached. Reducing health impacts is the end-goal while the health benefits that come alongside that reduction, such as improved health and wellbeing related to reduced air pollution or adopting a healthy lifestyle, is not a focus in these agendas [ 38 ]. We argue that the notion of attaining health is a necessary precursor for attaining other goals such as mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity, and stemming the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”