Putting the Economic Cart before the Healthy Horse: Barriers and Opportunities for Health Co-Benefits in Climate Change Mitigation Policies

摘要

Numerous health benefits can result from the implementation of climate change mitigation policies. At a time when ambitious action is urgently needed, accounting for benefits of climate change action in policy development is imperative. The domestic and near-term benefits to human health that arise from implementing climate mitigation policies can provide a strong justification for developing increasingly ambitious climate change policies. The policy development process is complex, especially for a multi-scale, multi-sectoral policy issue such as climate change. To gain a better understanding of the process, and how health fits, we interviewed Australian and European Commission (EC) climate change policy-makers. We developed case studies for Australia and the European Union (EU) using theoretical insights from the political economy literature in conjunction with data from the interviews and analysis of key Australian Government and EC documents. We found that the complexities of the policy-making process, in conjunction with politico-economic and institutional realities, can create barriers for the integration of health co-benefits into climate change mitigation policies[1]. In better understanding the policy development processes for these Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we identify specific strategies to enhance the role of health co-benefits in the development of Australian and EU climate change mitigation policies, which may be relevant more broadly, at the sub-national level and for other Parties to the UNFCCC. Insights gained from our research can be used by environmental health researchers to support the translation of research into policy-making. [1] Workman, A., G. Blashki, D. Karoly, and J. Wiseman. 2016. 'The Role of Health Co-Benefits in the Development of Australian Climate Change Mitigation Policies.' International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13 (9). doi:10.3390/ijerphl3090927.