At a special meeting at the COP6 climate change talks in the Hague on 22
November, the World Health Organization said that new research indicates
that reducing greenhouse gases through the transport, energy and industry
sectors would have immediate health benefits.
"We are not just talking about taking measures to avoid the health risks
that climate change will bring, such as diseases or death from extreme
weather events, and vector, food or water borne diseases that arise from
altered climates" says Dr Roberto Bertollini, Director of Technical
Services, WHO Europe. " It is now clear that taking strong and pre-emptive
measures that directly reduce greenhouse gases will also result in other
immediate and important health benefits for us all, for example through
cleaner air. Taking measures now to limit the damage from climate change
will bring immediate benefits to our health. This is a win-win strategy."
A new Swiss study on climate change scenarios demonstrates that the most
efficient greenhouse gas reduction programmes are also clean air
programmes. "The climate change strategies that will benefit health
positively are those in which countries directly target fossil fuel
emissions", says the author of the study, Dr Nino Künzli of the Institute
for Social and Preventive Medicine, Basel. "The largest health benefits
will stem from integrated policies, taking into account technology, urban
planning, speed, safety, quality of life, self-sustained mobility and
public transport." A recent three-country European study of which Dr
Künzli was joint author, found that 6% of deaths are caused by air
pollution, thus killing many more people than traffic accidents.
Air pollutants from fossil fuels currently damage health: when air
pollution is eased, prompt health benefits follow. Globally, it has been
estimated that about 8 million deaths between the year 2000 and 2020 could
be avoided by strategic climate policies, as opposed to a
"business-as-usual" scenario.
Road transport is a key target area to achieve benefits both in reducing
greenhouse gas emission, and in curbing other transport-related health
impacts, such as those resulting from other air pollutants, noise,
accidents and reduced opportunities for physical exercise through walking
and cycling . Transport is at the moment the fastest growing source of CO2
emissions. About 26% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the Europe Union
are caused by the transport sector, and they show an upward trend.
Emissions from transport in the EU increased by 30% between 1985 and 1996,
and the projected increase in passenger car transport in the EU is a
further 30% increase by 2010 despite the targets in the Kyotoc Protocol.
Press release, references and full details on www.who.it
www.who.it (in four languages) Please contact Viv Taylor Gee, Communications Environment and Health WHO Europe on vge@who.dk
Tel +45.39.17.13.43 or mobile +45.22.72.36.91 or Dr
Bettina Menne, bme@who.it Tel +39 06 4877546 or mobile +39 348 4001097.
Viv Taylor Gee
Communications Consultant
Environment and Health,
WHO
Scherfigsvej 8
DK2100 Denmark
Tel: +45.39.17.13.43
Fax: +39 17 18 78
E-mail: vge@who.dk
