An analysis of national action on health and climate change in
WHO European Member States
Dr Bettina Menne
Program Manager, climate change, green health services and sustainable development
WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany
Climate change and health in the European Ministerial Environment and Health Process
Climate change
recognized 1989
Early human health effects
1999
Extreme weather
events and renewable
energy
2004
•Parma Commitment to Act
•Regional Framework for Action
2010 2017
The Parma Commitment to Act
1. Integrate health issues in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, policies and strategies of other sectors;
2. Strengthen health and public health systems and services
3. Develop and strengthen early warning surveillance and preparedness for extreme weather events and disease outbreaks;
4. Develop and implement educational and public awareness programmes
5. Resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems
6. Encourage research and development
Assessing achievements
Several instruments:
1. Questionnaire: 34 Member States – 22 responded/across all government departments
2. Systematic literature review
3. Working group on health in Climate Change
4. Partnerships
Questionnaire
Two parts: intercountry
1. Governance;
2. vulnerability, impact and adaptation assessments;
3. national and subnational adaptation strategies;
4. climate change mitigation;
5. strengthening health systems;
6. raising awareness and building capacity;
7. green health services;
8. sharing best practices.
Country specific information to build country profiles
Governance
Who is in charge of climate change in your country
Who is in charge of the health aspects of climate change
Health vulnerability, impact and adaptation assessments (hVIA): 64%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Health outcomes identified
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Vulnerable
Health system strengthening
0 5 10 15 20
Disease surveillance
Environment and Healthservices
Health security and IHR
Climate change in publichealth policy
Primary health care
Integrated environment,climate and health monitoring
Climate resilient infrastructure
Health system adaptation measures
Number
WHO, Regional Office for Europe, 2015
The big challenges: adaptation
Adaptation financing: most countries no additional budget
Adaptation to the direct health impacts of climate change
• Early warning systems for extreme events;
• Actions to reduce burdens of heatwaves
• Adaptation to floods and storms
Action for resilience to indirect impacts
• Food insecurity
• Environmental migration
• Dynamic infectious disease risks
• Health co-benefits from climate adaptation
• Ecosystem-based adaptation in urban areas
The Lancet Commissions (2015):
The health sector has a central part to play in leading climate change adaptation and resilience efforts
Institutional and decision-making challenges related to uncertainty, and complex interactions
Clear no-regret options and co-benefits for food security, human migration and displacement, and dynamic infectious disease risks.
Countdown to 2030: Global Health and Climate Action. Progress in health adaptation action to reduce population vulnerability to build climate resilience and to implement climate-ready low-carbon health systems
Health costs of climate change and benefits of adaptation in EURO region
Source: Hutton & Menne, 2014
The big challenges: health in mitigation
0
1 000 000
2 000 000
3 000 000
4 000 000
5 000 000
6 000 000
European Union (28)
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Russian Federation
Europe
5 0 10 million 20 15
Mitigation
All countries had done some form of mitigation:
• energy-efficient buildings= 100%
• promoting access to safe transport or public transportation = 95.5%
• Less progress was reported when asking about shifting to carbon-neutral agriculture = 77.3%
• Only 5 countries assessed the health benefits
• Energy:
• Albania “Energy star” programme;
• In Croatia the “House in Order” programme;
• Germany reports that 1 euro of public funds for energy-efficient building attracts private investments to a value of 12 euros.
• Transport:
• In Austria the “Klima: aktiv mobil”
• Italy has funded 187 projects through the sustainable mobility fund campaign;
• In Slovenia the “Meet you at the station” project
Promoting low carbon development
• 56 major European cities: if all selected would have cycling levels like Copenhagen: 76,600 new jobs; 9,400 lives saved each year
• Reduce obesity and NCDs
Cities: Transport
• Improve life expectancy by 3.3 months
• Reduce health damage cost between 12 and 29 billion
Multisector:
GHG reduction of 20%
WHO, Regional Office for Europe, 2008, 2010, 2015
Environmentally friendly health systems
• 4.2% of GHG
emissions in Europe,
produced by health
care
• Mitigation e.g.
reducing 20% of
emissions – gains of
15,000 persons less
dying from CVD NHS, 2013
Sharing best practice
Can you share information on best practice with regard to:
a) national health impact assessments
b) adaptation plans and strategy developments
c) trends in climate change, environment and health indicators
d) case studies of best practice and health co-benefits
e) pilot project funding and research opportunities
f) effectiveness of adaptation and mitigation measures?”