The forgotten benefits of climate change mitigation. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Climate change mitigation generally involves reductions in human anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases ghgs. Climate change mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases. The term cobenefits refers to simultaneously meeting several interests or objectives resulting from a political intervention, private sector investment or a mix thereof. Mitigation may also be achieved by increasing the capacity of carbon sinks, e. Climate change ghg mitigation strategies prompt a rethinking of lifestyles, energy choices, and consumption patterns which can have substantial health cobenefits associated with urban land transport woodcock et al. These cobenefits tend to be local, rather than global. Benefits of climate change mitigation for the uk include improvements in public health, reduced nhs costs, greater energy security, growth in the lowcarbon jobs market and a reduction in poverty and inequality. The main contribution of present study is therefore to highlight air. In collaboration with national knowledge partners in india, south africa, vietnam, and turkey, the project elaborates country specific cobenefits of climate policies, with emphasis on the opportunities presented by renewable power generation.
Examples of such climate mitigation policies include improved energy efficiency of plants, renewable energy uptake and fuel switching which might enable a range. Mitigation cobenefits of adaptation actions and economic. The social and economic opportunities presented by this transformation are spurring the growth of renewable energy generation in many countries. In 2009, the lancet published a series of groundbreaking papers presenting evidence for certain actions to tackle climate change that might improve health. The term cobenefits is defined as all the potential developmental benefits of climate change mitigation actions in areas other than ghg mitigation. Climate change mitigation and cobenefits of feasible transport demand policies in beijing. Cobenefits of climate change mitigation as defined in the 4th assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change are the positive benefits related to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Cobenefits of climate action changing the conversation. Table 2 indicators and methodologies used for the quantification of different coimpacts of key climate change mitigation related investments, separated by physical and monetary metrics. The cobenefits is a term which is increasingly being used in climate change discourse. Climate change is one of todays most pressing global issues. Evaluating health cobenefits of climate change mitigation. Definition of mitigation cobenefits of adaptation and economic diversification mitigation cobenefits of adaptation and economic diversification can be understood as the ghg emission reductions that are the result of implementation of adaptation related and economic diversification actions1. Climate change mitigation yields multiple benefits or cobenefits in addition to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Besides health, there are other cobenefits that need to be taken into account in an integrated approach to climate change action that looks at different synergies and tradeoffs. Health cobenefits of climate change mitigation policies in the transport sector. Connecting the social and economic opportunities of renewable energies to climate change mitigation strategies. Because numerous studies have already focused on the justice benefits or cobenefits to renewable energy, lowcarbon mobility, or climate change mitigation see for example alberini et al. There is growing recognition that implementation of lowcarbon policies in urban passenger transport has nearterm health cobenefits through increased physical. The cost of climate change mitigation is lowered by the benefits obtained by reducing air pollution. There are now opportunities to use existing longitudinal data on population health to investigate how climate change affects the most vulnerable populations. Climate change ghg mitigation strategies prompt a rethinking of lifestyles, energy choices, and consumption patterns which can have substantial health cobenefits. Policies to guide mitigation and adaptation are needed to avoid the devastating impacts of climate change. Climate mitigation actions on land may have benefits that go beyond global climate change mitigation and accrue at the local level 3. Climate change mitigation strategy to 2050 1 message from city of melbourne this climate change mitigation strategy is a major commitment to action. This requires understanding the interrelationships and synergies between community development practices and climate innovations can result in cobenefits, i. Who health cobenefits of climate change mitigation.
The city of melbourne is proud to be part of a local and international movement of cities that will act to reduce emissions and to address climate change impacts. Health cobenefits can arise through several pathways, including through reduced air pollution, increased physical activity, and dietary change. The global transition to renewable sources of energy is in full swing. Jack d w and kinney p l 2010 health cobenefits of climate mitigation in urban areas curr. Oecd ilibrary cobenefits of climate change mitigation. There is strong evidence that designed climate mitigation action can provide well substantial cobenefits for health, energy security, economic development, social capital and natural capital. Cobenefits of climate change mitigation springerlink. Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior.
Many cobenefits, such as diminished local air pollution resulting from reduced use of fossil fuels. Headline issue climate change mitigation yields multiple benefits or cobenefits in addition to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Css has developed a growing set of factsheets that cover topics including energy, water, food, waste, buildings, materials, and transportation systems. Since climate change is inevitable and some degree of the changes will occur and affect the environment regardless of future mitigation of climate change, some actions should be taken in order to minimize the climate induced risks to the environment, human health, society and economics. Many cobenefits, such as diminished local air pollution resulting from reduced use of fossil fuels, occur in the short run, are relatively certain to be achieved, and are primarily enjoyed by the country. In the field of environmental protection the term cobenefits means synergies of energy conservation and pollution reduction reducing ghg emissions and reduce pollutants emissions. Cobenefits of nutritionsensitive adaptation and mitigation. Health cobenefits and risks of public health adaptation.
A multimodel assessment of the cobenefits of climate. The health sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries, and its climate impact in lowincome countries is growing steadily. Table 3 quantitative assessment of the importance of cobenefits for selected case studies. Get in touch with cobenefits cobenefits social and. Air quality cobenefits from climate mitigation for human. Pdf measuring the cobenefits of climate change mitigation. The cobenefits approach is considered as a w inwin strategy to address two or more issu es. Holloway t and meier p 2010 implications of incorporating airquality cobenefits into climate change policymaking environ. Health cobenefits of climate change mitigation policies. According to the oecd, the benefits of climate change mitigation policies in the coming decades would be essentially the cobenefits since the direct benefits of mitigation policies are expected to occur in the longer run 7. Health benefits are based on improvements in air quality due to climate change mitigation, which includes health expenditure savings from reductions in morbidity, welfare savings of. Faster, deeper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may be achieved by.
Trainings cobenefits social and economic opportunities. Mitigation of climate change involves actions that are designed to limit the amount of longterm global warming. Opportunity of cobenefits of climate change mitigation. Health cobenefits of climate change mitigation housing. Identifying and accounting for them can reduce or partially compensate the costs of the mitigation measures. The courses will cover various aspects of renewable energy technologies, cobenefits of renewable energy in climate change mitigation, methodologies and tools to assess cobenefits, international and national climate policies, and sustainable power system planning. Cobenefits and risks of implementation of forestry. Benefits of climate change mitigation for the uk include improvements in public health, reduced nhs costs, greater energy security, growth in the low. Case studies in cobenefits approaches to climate change. Mitigation may be achieved through the reduction of greenhouse gas ghg emissions or through the enhancement of sinks that absorb ghgs, for example forests. There are multiple benefits known as cobenefits to taking action on climate change that are not always adequately considered or valued in the policy and decisionmaking process. Cobenefits of adaptation, mitigation and development v1. Resources grantham institute climate change and the. This article is about the economics of climate change mitigation.
It can be as complex as a plan for a new city, or as a simple as improvements to a. There are important research gaps regarding the health consequences of climate change and cobenefits actions, particularly in lowincome countries. Measuring the cobenefits of climate change mitigation. The existence of cobenefits with a local impact within shorter time. Quantifying air quality cobenefits of climate policy. Integrated planning and sustainability strategies can yield benefits for both climate adaptation and mitigation than through siloed approaches shaw et al. Health cobenefits of climate change mitigation housing sector health in the green economy.
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