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

High level of diversity

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

Heat Health action plans (33%)

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

Green health systems

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?”

Summary

www.euro.who.int/climatechange