Transcript Slide 1

Climate Change and Health an EU perspective.
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Policy Officer
Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Local Authorities Protecting Health and Climate Change
@ World Health Editors Network
Geneva 23-24 January 2008
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Who we are
Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)
an international not-for-profit, non governmental network that aims to
improve health through EU public policy that promotes a cleaner
environment and sustainable development
• Created in 2003 by members of the European Public Health Alliance, thus the
former name EPHA Environment Network (EEN)
• Member of the Green 10 (see www.green10.org)
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Environmental Health
The Richard Dimbleby Lecture 2007: Dr J Craig Venter – A DNA-Driven World
“Being an optimist I believe that we can ultimately solve the health care issue. But the fundamental
problem facing our planet - that of climate change - is one that is far more grave. In fact, unless we tackle
this head on, health care could be the least of our worries.”
Climate change and health: preparing for unprecedented challenges, Dr Margaret Chan
Director-General of the World Health Organization
I believe that climate change will ride across this landscape as the fifth horseman. It will increase the
power of the four horsemen that rule over war, famine, pestilence, and death – those ancient adversaries
that have affected health and human progress since the beginning of recorded history.
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Talk today
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Why Local Authorities are so important.
Health Care and Prevention (synergies and unknowns)
Health Care Systems Mitigation/Adaptation/Development
Practical guidance on Adaptation for Local Authorities (some examples)
The way forward.
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The Dilemma
Cure <-> Prevention
EU
Health and Well-Being
China
Climate
Change
Contraction
Growth and Jobs
Convergence
Social Change
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Environment v Public Health Messages
• We are not trying to save the planet, we are ensuring our (and other species) ability to
live on it.
Environmental
Public Health
Smoke that comes out of chimney.
Communications Message therefore:
Technical Fix
1. The ‘Joint Fulfillment’ Dec 2007 - 20% EU-wide GHG reductions broken down into 27 Member
States (need to be 30% + decarb. Support for developing countries)
2. EU ETS review for post 2012 Dec 2007 - may cover up to 60% of all EU GHG/CO2 emissions
(aviation, shipping, power and large industry and??) - link to CDM and other trading schemes
unclear
3. Renewable Energy Roadmap Dec 2007 - sectoral targets, national targets? 35-40% renewable
power? Imports?
4. Legislation on Carbon Capture and Storage Dec 2007 – link to EU ETS? Mandatory emissions
ceilings?
5. CO2 and cars (LDV) Dec 2007 - fleet consumption? Tradability? Target 2012 (120/130 g/km) –
Target 2020/2025 (?)
6. Review of the Building Directive (in 2008) – mandatory standards for retrofit and new buildings
incl. offices?
7. Fuel Quality Directive Nov 2007? - deals with upstream GHG emissions also outside EU (fends off
unconventional dirty fossil fuels)
8. Biofuel sustainability certification – part of the review of biofuel Directive and roadmap
9. Agreement on minimum energy efficiency standards for 15-20 product categories under the EuP
Directive - 2009/2010? - but comitology decision unclear on legal status
10. Liberalisation of the energy market Sept 2007 Ownership/legal unbundling? New grid/pipeline management?
Effect of smoke/determinant on health.
Communication message therefore:
Social change
health system response plans;
training of health professionals;
climate proofed infrastructure
10. Emphasis the application of the subsidiarity principle as the most promising
approach to tackle consequences of climate change through concrete adaptive
measures, as regions and the local entities in Europe will be more able to respond
with political answers to their own experiences, but underlines the need for a
coherence check on EU-level;
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Underlines the key role cities and regions play in fighting
climate change and calls therefore for the implementation of integrated sustainable
urban, regional and rural development strategies, which take full account of measures
aimed at mitigation and adaptation and calls for scientific studies, in order to analyse
which type of infrastructure can help to address climate change;
Christian Farrar-Hockley
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH and CC
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ODA is changing to deal with CC
UNFCCC report on Adaptation – looks at WSDs and CC
How does health WSDs fit in CC (adapation and mitigation)?
Looks like the polluter will not pay!
• Predict and Prevent
• www.google.org
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Framework for Healthy Transport
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Good for Health and Environment
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Good for Environment and Health?
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Junkscience.com
Every home a Superfund site? “Mercury is highly toxic to everyone, but particularly to
children and developing fetuses,” says the activist group Environmental Defense, a longtime campaigner against mercury from power plant emissions and in automobile
convenience lighting.
So it came as quite a surprise when the group began advocating that consumers bring
the “highly toxic” mercury into their homes in the form of compact fluorescent light
bulbs in order to reduce power plant CO2 emissions. CFLs are so hazardous, according
to public health officials however, that special safety precautions must be taken for
disposal or if the bulbs break.
31st 11:26 GMT +00:00
Smoking bans and climate change
Posted by:
The Economist | BRUSSELS
Categories:
Smoking bans
ARE SMOKING bans bad for the
environment? The thought pops up,
while reading screeds of newspaper
articles about the ban on smoking in
the bars, restaurants and clubs of
France, that will come into force at
midnight tonight. Many of the articles,
especially in the French press, focus on
the ways in which restaurateurs and
bar-owners hope to continue
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Mitigation and Local Health Care
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Mitigation - reduce CO2 emission (energy efficiency and reduced resource use) - start with
low hanging fruit (Audit, Switch off, Reset, CHP, Public Procurement, ISO or EMAS.)
Biggest Problem is that Health Care Providers feels they are exempt so after the win-wins to
the “carbon-neutral” they do not look further: e.g. Norway - Green Ambulances and ECO
driving for Ambulance Service, Adenbrook’s Hospital UK “Travel Plan” - they are not mutually
exclusive “Health Care for All”
Lack of knowledge on what works and coordination.
No mention of CC
Health expenditure per capita, public and private, 2005 (OECD)
Christian Farrar-Hockley
A few examples
www.energiesparendes-krankenhaus.de
Hospital Energy Certification by BUND
CRITERIA
• 25 % Reduction of CO2
• Continuous reduction of energy consumption
• Long-term optimal energy consumption
• Implementation of an energy management
• 20 hospitals certified
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Does this cover it!!
6. Human development
Environmental quality in human settlements and work places:
waste management (including domestic waste) and sanitation;
noise; clean water, air quality (ambient and indoor); exposure to
chemicals and heavy metals; occupational health hazards;
vectors and water-borne diseases; overcrowding.
Climate change (impact on health and safety) and ozone
depletion.
Environmental disasters (impact on health and safety).
Christian Farrar-Hockley
EU Conscious European Hospitals
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Health Care Sector
www.energiesparendes-krankenhaus.de
www.noharm.org
www.gghc.org
www.eu-hospitals.net
www.greeninghealthcare.net
www.carbontrust.co.uk/carbon/nhs/
Christian Farrar-Hockley
HEAL and Upcoming Events
• ERS/HENVINET meeting on air pollution and health
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HEAL list serve on HEALTH and CC
HEAL EU advocacy on HEALTH and CC.
HEAL EU advocacy on CC and Adaptation
HEAL & EUREGHA (committee of the regions) - Climate change and the
challenges for public health: engaging the regions, July 2008.
• Best Practice Award for Health Sector on CC.
• Health delegation to UNFCCC COP 13.
Christian Farrar-Hockley
To stay below 2 degrees C
• Global GHG emissions (+3%/a 2005)
have to peak and decline in next 10 to
15 years
• Global GHG emissions have to be
reduced by >>50% below 1990 levels
by 2050 - This translates into ~100%
for industrialised countries incl EU
• EU needs to reduce GHG by at
least 30% domestically by 2020 and
in addition contribute to at least 15%
further global emissions reductions
towards clean energy development
and reduced deforestation in poor
countries with no GHG caps.
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Http://www.env-health.org
Christian Farrar-Hockley