The public health implications of the Paris Agreement: a modelling study

Planetary Health, Climate Change, and Lifestyle Medicine: Threats and Opportunities

“…[1][2][3][4][5]17 Encouragingly, data from multiple studies show that acting to mitigate emissions that cause climate change can also mitigate the root causes of NCDs, resulting in what are known as health cobenefits, in addition to economic benefits. [2][3][4][18][19][20][21][22] For example, moving toward a minimally processed, wholefood, plant-based diet and active transport (walking, bicycling) can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, lower health-harming air pollution, and decrease cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity while also lowering health care costs. 2,3,17,18,20 Put another way, the evidence base shows that following a healthy lifestyle not only improves individual health, but has "side effects" that can mitigate climate change, strengthen community resilience, and improve the health of the planet, on which human health ultimately depends.…”

“…[2][3][4][18][19][20][21][22] For example, moving toward a minimally processed, wholefood, plant-based diet and active transport (walking, bicycling) can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, lower health-harming air pollution, and decrease cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity while also lowering health care costs. 2,3,17,18,20 Put another way, the evidence base shows that following a healthy lifestyle not only improves individual health, but has "side effects" that can mitigate climate change, strengthen community resilience, and improve the health of the planet, on which human health ultimately depends. 2,17,18,23 Framing the health cobenefits discussion through the lens of LM may encourage the prescribing of these "medicines" for both individuals and communities while improving planetary health as a potent side effect.…”

Evidence-informed policy for tackling adverse climate change effects on health: Linking regional and global assessments of science to catalyse action

“…Parties to the Paris Agreement are required to include a mitigation contribution in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and, in this context, it is important to take account of the large opportunities for public health gains [ 13 ]. Modelling scenarios analysing the health co-benefits of NDCs for selected countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe [ 14 ] project a significant reduction of premature deaths related to air pollution, diet, and physical inactivity. Identifying health protection and improvement as priority outcomes in the NDCs requires (i) continuing commitment to measuring and monitoring the health co-benefits; (ii) ensuring policy coherence between climate change and health policy processes; and (iii) that health actions in the NDCs are comprehensive enough to build climate-resilient health systems [ 13 ].…”

COVID-19: fighting the foe with Virchow

“…To bring the climate emergency back high on the agenda? Both, COVID-19 and the climate emergency, are similarly rooted in the exploitation of the planet, and both require global, cooperative efforts to achieve sustainable goals [ 10 ].…”