Evaluating Health Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Mobility

Brigitte Wolkinger, Willi Haas, Gabriel Bachner, Ulli Weisz, Karl W. Steininger, Hans-Peter Hutter, Jennifer Delcour, Robert Griebler, Bernhard Mittelbach, Philipp Maier and Raphael Reifeltshammer
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Brigitte Wolkinger: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Willi Haas: Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
Gabriel Bachner: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Ulli Weisz: Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
Karl W. Steininger: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Hans-Peter Hutter: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Jennifer Delcour: Austrian Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich GmbH), Stubenring 6, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
Robert Griebler: Austrian Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich GmbH), Stubenring 6, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
Bernhard Mittelbach: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Philipp Maier: Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
Raphael Reifeltshammer: Institute of Internal Combustion Engines and Thermodynamics, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 19, A-8010 Graz, Austria

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-27

Abstract: There is growing recognition that implementation of low-carbon policies in urban passenger transport has near-term health co-benefits through increased physical activity and improved air quality. Nevertheless, co-benefits and related cost reductions are often not taken into account in decision processes, likely because they are not easy to capture. In an interdisciplinary multi-model approach we address this gap, investigating the co-benefits resulting from increased physical activity and improved air quality due to climate mitigation policies for three urban areas. Additionally we take a (macro-)economic perspective, since that is the ultimate interest of policy-makers. Methodologically, we link a transport modelling tool, a transport emission model, an emission dispersion model, a health model and a macroeconomic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to analyze three climate change mitigation scenarios. We show that higher levels of physical exercise and reduced exposure to pollutants due to mitigation measures substantially decrease morbidity and mortality. Expenditures are mainly born by the public sector but are mostly offset by the emerging co-benefits. Our macroeconomic results indicate a strong positive welfare effect, yet with slightly negative GDP and employment effects. We conclude that considering economic co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies in urban mobility can be put forward as a forceful argument for policy makers to take action.

Keywords: urban mobility; health co-benefits; physical activity; air pollution; climate change mitigation; interdisciplinary approach (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 (1)

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