Fighting climate change will increase life expectancy in the UK

New research from King’s College London has found significant health benefits to meeting the UK’s climate targets, helping to save lives and increase average life expectancy.

The researchers modelled different scenarios under which the UK both succeeds and fails to reduce its mandated greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 under the Climate Change Act.

Their models looked at the impacts on air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM), on a reduction in emissions. They found that PM levels could be reduced by 44 percent over the next few decades, and combatting NO2 could save 7,178,000 years of life within the population.

Their work is published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

The UK’s Climate Change Act, signed in 2008, is a landmark piece of legislation which commits the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent on 1990 levels by 2050. This legally binding target requires the government to implement climate policies which, if fulfilled, would lead the transition to a low-carbon economy.

An estimated 40,000 premature deaths are caused by air pollution each year in the UK, mainly as a result of increased risk to cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes, heart attacks, and asthma. These are often linked to road transport, which is responsible for emitting a suite of toxic pollutants, including carbon dioxide.

Professor Martin Williams, the lead author of the study, said: “Our research demonstrates that climate change mitigation policies have the potential to make dramatic improvements in public health through their parallel improvements in air quality. It is imperative that climate change and air pollution policies are considered together to fully realise the health benefits of both.”

Professor Jonathan Grigg of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said the study shows “the Climate Change Act is a powerful tool for reducing air pollution.”

“Children and young people benefit the most from improved air quality, as they are the most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution. Tackling childhood asthma is particularly urgent given its prevalence – air pollution is associated with both reduced lung growth in childhood and severity of asthma for those with the disease.”

The study follows separate research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), last week, which showed China could save at least 94,000 lives by sticking to its own climate goals.

 

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