Imperial College London's Grantham Institute have released a briefing on the co-benefits of climate change mitigation, where other sectors such as public health and the economy benefit from the positive effects of climate change mitigation.

This paper discusses the benefits that climate change mitigation can have on some of the key challenges facing the UK, including improving public health, reducing NHS costs, creating jobs, boosting economic growth, and reducing unemployment, poverty and inequality. It looks at the co-benefits of climate action across a range of academic disciplines and associated policy areas, and recommends measures that can be adopted by policy and decision-makers at various levels of government.

Headlines

•  Governments face a significant challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting competing objectives such as improving public health and reducing unemployment.
• There are multiple benefits – known as ‘co-benefits’ – to taking action on climate change that are not always adequately considered or  valued in the policy and decision-making process.
• Benefits of climate change mitigation for the UK include improvements in public health, reduced NHS costs, greater energy security, growth  in the low-carbon jobs market and a reduction in poverty and inequality.
• Cities and devolved administrations are best-placed to capitalise on the co-benefits of climate change mitigation as they frequently hold  relevant budgets (e.g. health, transport, housing) and understand how different policy priorities impact on each other. 
• Faster, deeper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may be achieved by ensuring that public sector decision-making adequately  considers the co-benefits of climate change mitigation.

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