Carbon pricing, health co-benefits and trade-offs: protocol for a systematic framework synthesis

Carbon pricing is considered an important instrument in the fight against climate change (World Bank, 2022). In particular, many experts and stakeholders have called for the implementation of carbon pricing as a part of ambitious climate policy agendas (Hepburn et al., 2020). This requires consideration of the interactions of carbon pricing with other policies, as well as of the societal outcomes of carbon pricing. In particular, carbon pricing has been found to have potentially large health impacts, leading to important co-benefits as well as potentially some trade-offs (Parry et al., 2014), (Hasegawa et al., 2018). Information on health impacts of carbon pricing, their distribution and how they are affected by policy design is necessary in order to progress towards more socially sustainable and politically feasible policy design. Recent reviews have focussed on various aspects of carbon pricing design and outcomes, synthesizing evidence on its effectiveness, equity impacts or societal perception (Boyce, 2018), (Green, 2021), (Maestre-Andrés et al., 2019). Others have reviewed the evidence on health co-benefits of mitigation, but do not analyse specific policies or issues of policy design Gao et al.(2018). This review will narratively synthesize the evidence on the health impacts of carbon pricing between 2010 and 2021 and identify gaps in the literature. We will use a framework synthesis approach to analyse different categories of policy-relevant information in contexts where carbon pricing is implemented as part of wider, coordinated policy agendas or complex policy mixes. This includes for example impacts on health inequalities and how health co-benefits are affected by issues of policy design and policy interactions.</ns4:p

Quantifying the effectiveness and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation actions across sectors: a protocol for an umbrella review

Background: Effective and rapid actions are required to achieve global goals for climate change mitigation, and there is an opportunity to ensure that the actions taken are also positive for human health. However, little is known about the relative magnitude of the health co-benefits that can be achieved from mitigation actions, so robust and comprehensive syntheses of the evidence on the nature and effects of relevant actions are required. This paper presents a protocol for an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral umbrella review of systematic reviews, synthesising modelled and empirical evidence on such actions. Methods: Nine bibliographic databases will be searched, capturing literature across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. Unique records retrieved by the searches will be screened by two independent reviewers. The quality of all the included systematic reviews will be assessed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 critical appraisal tool. Data will be extracted on methodological and thematic characteristics of the reviews, nature of the actions, and their effects on greenhouse gas emission reduction, health, and its determinants, as well as any other reported effects and interactions across different actions. Results: Narrative and quantitative synthesis methods will be used to create a typology of relevant actions, map pathways to their impacts on health, compare the magnitude of health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction impacts by selected characteristics of the actions and the nature of the evidence, as well as to identify gaps in evidence syntheses. Conclusion: This review will identify the most effective actions for global climate change mitigation and health based on the best available scientific evidence.   This protocol has been registered in PROSPERO, Reg No.: CRD42021239292.</ns4:p

Pathways to a healthy net-zero future:report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission

Deep, rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to limit future global temperature increases to 1·5°C above pre-industrial levels, but current progress is inadequate to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and to reduce future risks from climate change. Many actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions can also deliver near-term health co-benefits, for example from reduced air pollution, consumption of healthy diets, and increased physical activity. High-quality evidence on the type and magnitude of co-benefits that can be realised and improved knowledge of how to promote the implementation of such actions can support progress towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Lancet Pathfinder Commission was established to collate and assess the evidence on the near-term health effects of greenhouse gas mitigation, including both modelling studies and evaluated implemented actions. The Commission's aim is to assess the potential and achieved magnitude of the benefits for health and climate of different mitigation actions and, where possible, the factors facilitating or impeding implementation

Pathways to a healthy net-zero future:report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission

Deep, rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to limit future global temperature increases to 1·5°C above pre-industrial levels, but current progress is inadequate to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and to reduce future risks from climate change. Many actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions can also deliver near-term health co-benefits, for example from reduced air pollution, consumption of healthy diets, and increased physical activity. High-quality evidence on the type and magnitude of co-benefits that can be realised and improved knowledge of how to promote the implementation of such actions can support progress towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Lancet Pathfinder Commission was established to collate and assess the evidence on the near-term health effects of greenhouse gas mitigation, including both modelling studies and evaluated implemented actions. The Commission's aim is to assess the potential and achieved magnitude of the benefits for health and climate of different mitigation actions and, where possible, the factors facilitating or impeding implementation

Quantifying the effectiveness and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation actions across sectors: a protocol for an umbrella review

Background: Effective and rapid actions are required to achieve global goals for climate change mitigation, and there is an opportunity to ensure that the actions taken are also positive for human health. However, little is known about the relative magnitude of the health co-benefits that can be achieved from mitigation actions, so robust and comprehensive syntheses of the evidence on the nature and effects of relevant actions are required. This paper presents a protocol for an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral umbrella review of systematic reviews, synthesising modelled and empirical evidence on such actions. Methods: Nine bibliographic databases will be searched, capturing literature across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. Unique records retrieved by the searches will be screened by two independent reviewers. The quality of all the included systematic reviews will be assessed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 critical appraisal tool. Data will be extracted on methodological and thematic characteristics of the reviews, nature of the actions, and their effects on greenhouse gas emission reduction, health, and its determinants, as well as any other reported effects and interactions across different actions. Results: Narrative and quantitative synthesis methods will be used to create a typology of relevant actions, map pathways to their impacts on health, compare the magnitude of health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction impacts by selected characteristics of the actions and the nature of the evidence, as well as to identify gaps in evidence syntheses. Conclusion: This review will identify the most effective actions for global climate change mitigation and health based on the best available scientific evidence. This protocol has been registered in PROSPERO, Reg No.: CRD42021239292

Pathways to a healthy net-zero future: report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission.

An abundance of modelled evidence attests to the health co-benefits of climate mitigation action across many sectors of society. Increased ambition is urgently needed to accelerate progress and achieve the health co-benefits from a just transition to a net-zero emissions future. Health co-benefits are additional to the benefits gained from reducing the impacts of climate change on health. Co-benefits are delivered through key pathways, such as reductions in air pollution from replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy sources; consumption of healthy, sustainable diets; and the promotion of active travel and use of public transport. To capitalise on these additional health gains, while reducing inequities and meeting climate targets, health co-benefits must be incorporated into the delivery of the Paris Climate Agreement including through nationally determined contributions and long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies. Improved monitoring of progress alongside better harmonised research can support ambitious climate action. A greater emphasis must be placed on estimating the magnitude of both the health and greenhouse gas effects of implemented mitigation actions, including through processes such as the Global Stocktake. Future research should use consistent methods and descriptions of objectives, settings, and assumptions to support informed decision making and inclusion in national and global policy. Integrated evaluation of actions can also ensure implementation achieves equitable delivery of benefits and minimises trade-offs. Systems approaches are needed; achievement of transformative change across sectors to achieve improved health equity at net-zero greenhouse gas emissions requires systems approaches that integrate adaptation and mitigation and address underlying structures driving inequity and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Examples of implemented and evaluated transformative action are urgently needed to inspire and inform change. A coalition of organisations, and subnational and national initiatives, is proposed to accelerate progress towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and improve health, with a commitment to monitor and evaluate effects on health and greenhouse gas emissions as well as to share experiences about successes and failures