The Political Economy of Health Co-Benefits: Embedding Health in the Climate Change Agenda

Annabelle Workman, Grant Blashki, Kathryn J. Bowen, David J. Karoly and John Wiseman
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Annabelle Workman: Australian-German Climate and Energy College, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
Grant Blashki: The Nossal Institute for Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
Kathryn J. Bowen: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
David J. Karoly: School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
John Wiseman: Australian-German Climate and Energy College, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: A complex, whole-of-economy issue such as climate change demands an interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral response. However, evidence suggests that human health has remained elusive in its influence on the development of ambitious climate change mitigation policies for many national governments, despite a recognition that the combustion of fossil fuels results in pervasive short- and long-term health consequences. We use insights from literature on the political economy of health and climate change, the science–policy interface and power in policy-making, to identify additional barriers to the meaningful incorporation of health co-benefits into climate change mitigation policy development. Specifically, we identify four key interrelated areas where barriers may exist in relation to health co-benefits: discourse, efficiency, vested interests and structural challenges. With these insights in mind, we argue that the current politico-economic paradigm in which climate change is situated and the processes used to develop climate change mitigation policies do not adequately support accounting for health co-benefits. We present approaches for enhancing the role of health co-benefits in the development of climate change mitigation policies to ensure that health is embedded in the broader climate change agenda.

Keywords: health; co-benefits; climate change; political economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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