Climate action focused on cleaner air, better diet and exercise can save millions of lives according to new research. And by far the biggest health benefit of more ambitious measures to tackle the climate crisis comes from more balanced, plant-based eating.
The study, published in Lancet Planetary Health, looked at emissions generated from energy, agriculture and transport sectors, along with annual deaths attributed to air pollution, diet-related risk factors and physical inactivity.
The researchers then mapped how climate action to cut emissions across these three sectors would save lives through better, more plant-based diets, more physical activity such as walking and cycling, and cuts to air pollution from burning fewer fossil fuels.
Even though one might think that cutting air pollution would have the biggest impact, (91% of people globally breathe air that does not meet UN air quality standards), the study found that by far the highest number of people saved and the biggest health dividend comes from healthier diets, a factor that has not been central to climate policies.
Adopting Paris-standard climate plans and prioritizing health, could save 6.4 million lives due to better diet, 1.6 million lives due to cleaner air, and 2.1 million lives due to increased exercise, annually by 2040. These findings came from the study of nine nations (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK and US) which account for 50% of the global population and 70% of global GHG emissions.
“The health benefits of mitigation in the food and agricultural sector are broadly seen as a result of a transition to more nutritious diets, in the form of increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, and reductions in the consumption of red meat and processed foods,” the report says.
The chart below shows the dramatic impact of how changing what we eat affects life expectancy.
Half of the deaths avoided were due to changes in dietary risks, including decreased intake of red meat (22%), increased intake of fruits and vegetables (15%), legumes (9%), along with nuts, seeds and fish. The other half was due to reductions in obesity (22%), being underweight (15%), and being overweight (11%).
Source: Lancet Planetary Health. The ‘sustainable pathways’ scenario (SPS) incorporates national climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement. The more ambitious ‘health in all climate policies’ scenario (HPS) includes explicit health objectives. SPS assumes that 50% of the population would be flexitarian (increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes and a decrease in red meat and processed food) and 50% vegan.
“Improving the health outcomes of diets requires that policy makers go far beyond food to addressing the cultural, economic, and behavioural factors that influence diets. The challenge of food quality and availability for different populations, along with the complex nature of food systems, presents a major barrier to improving diet.”
This study makes explicitly clear the health and economic benefits from cleaner air, healthier diets, and more active communities. “The distinct advantage to aligning climate policies with health objectives is the greater political and societal buy-in for actions that have been seen purely in environmental terms thus far.”