Human health consequences of reducing emissions of climate altering pollutants

Abstract

Efforts to reduce global warming often generate significant health benefits. For example, 16 measures recommended by the UN Environment Program and World Meteorological Association (UNEP/WMO) to reduce short-lived greenhouse pollutants (methane (CH4), black carbon (BC) and ozone precursors) are predicted to avoid 2.4 million premature deaths from air pollution and reduce future warming by 0.4-0.5°C. Key UNEP/WMO recommendations include replacing traditional biomass and coal stoves in developing countries with clean-burning ones, recovery and use of vented gas during oil and gas production, reducing gas pipeline leaks, collection and utilization of CH4 from landfills, and separation and treatment of biodegradable waste (recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion) instead of sending it to landfill. Reducing major sources of particulate pollution (diesel engines, coal-fired power and domestic wood-heaters) partly through increased energy efficiency, and encouraging walking and cycling to replace short car journeys are also predicted to improve health and reduce global warming. Compared with climate benefits, the health co-benefits are more local and can be achieved more quickly and directly, making them more tangible and attractive to policymakers and the public. For electricity, estimated health benefits considerably offset the cost of greenhouse-gas mitigation, especially in India, which has high pollution and low mitigation costs. In Australia, improved efficiency, better regulation and replacing coal-fired power with renewables are also estimated to cost less than pollution from coal-fired power. The total health and environmental cost of not addressing global warming are generally considered to exceed the cost of researching, developing and implementing effective measures to reduce climate change.