October 14, 2021

AMS/RS Climate Change & Health report: tackling climate change mitigation and human health together

Major efforts are needed to mitigate climate change.  A new report argues that if the drivers and impacts of climate change are effectively addressed there are substantial opportunities for climate action to benefit human health.

The report, published jointly by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society, addresses the potential benefits to human health from action on climate change.  Journalists dialled in to this briefing to hear three senior contributors to the report address such questions as

• What impact will climate change action have on health in the UK in the short term?
• What are the main health benefits of climate change initiatives and how can we make the most of them?
• What actions can individuals take to simultaneously improve their health and reduce their environmental impact?
• Are there any negative impacts on health of climate change mitigation initiatives?

Speakers included:

Prof Joanna Haigh CBE FRS [co-chair], Professor of Atmospheric Physics

Prof Sir Andy Haines FMedSci [co-chair], Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, University of Bath