Encouraging and Enabling Lifestyles and Behaviours to Simultaneously Promote Environmental Sustainability, Health and Equity: Key Policy Messages from INHERIT

Ingrid Stegeman, Alba Godfrey, Maria Romeo-Velilla, Ruth Bell, Brigit Staatsen, Nina van der Vliet, Hanneke Kruize, George Morris, Timothy Taylor, Rosa Strube, Kirsti Anthun, Monica Lillefjell, Iva Zverinova, Milan Ščasný (), Vojtěch Máca and Caroline Costongs
Additional contact information
Ingrid Stegeman: EuroHealthNet, Royale Rue 146, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Alba Godfrey: EuroHealthNet, Royale Rue 146, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Maria Romeo-Velilla: EuroHealthNet, Royale Rue 146, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Ruth Bell: Institute of Health Equity, UCL, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Brigit Staatsen: Centre for Environmental Health Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Nina van der Vliet: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Hanneke Kruize: Centre for Environmental Health Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
George Morris: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro TR1 3HD, UK
Timothy Taylor: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro TR1 3HD, UK
Rosa Strube: Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) gGmbH, Hagenauer Strasse 30, 42107 Wuppertal, Germany
Kirsti Anthun: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Tungasletta 2, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Monica Lillefjell: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Tungasletta 2, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Vojtěch Máca: Environment Centre, Charles University, 16200 Praha, Czech Republic
Caroline Costongs: EuroHealthNet, Royale Rue 146, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-22

Abstract: Human consumption and activity are damaging the global ecosystem and the resources on which we rely for health, well-being and survival. The COVID-19 crisis is yet another manifestation of the urgent need to transition to more sustainable societies, further exposing the weaknesses in health systems and the injustice in our societies. It also underlines that many of the factors leading to environmental degradation, ill health and social and health inequities are interlinked. The current situation provides an unprecedented opportunity to invest in initiatives that address these common factors and encourage people to live more healthily and sustainably. Such initiatives can generate the positive feedback loops needed to change the systems and structures that shape our lives. INHERIT (January 2016–December 2019), an ambitious, multisectoral and transnational research project that involved 18 organisations across Europe, funded by the European Commission, explored such solutions. It identified, defined and analysed promising inter-sectoral policies, practices and approaches to simultaneously promote environmental sustainability, protect and promote health and contribute to health equity (the INHERIT “triple-win”) and that can encourage and enable people to live, move and consume more healthfully and sustainably. It also explored the facilitators and barriers to working across sectors and in public private cooperation. The insights were brought together in guidelines setting out how policy makers can help instigate and support local “triple-win” initiatives that influence behaviours as an approach to contributing to the change that is so urgently needed to stem environmental degradation and the interlinked threats to health and wellbeing. This article sets out this guidance, providing timely insights on how to “build back better” in the post pandemic era.

Keywords: sustainable development; health; environment; equity; health equity; intersectoral cooperation; behaviour change; policy; systemic change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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