health co-benefits – Public Health Expert, University of Otago, New Zealand

Health co-benefits need to be adequately considered in the Climate Change Commission’s final advice

Monday, June 21st, 2021 | carra86p | 1 Comment

Tim Chambers, Simon Hales, Jude Ball, Michael Baker, Cristina Cleghorn, Nick Wilson (*Author details)

The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the Government has been tabled in Parliament. This final report further acknowledged the potential health co-benefits of climate action presented in the Commission’s draft advice. However, the Commission has excluded these health co-benefits from its economic analyses, which currently predict a reduction in GDP of 0.2-1.0% in 2035 and 0.3-0.7% in 2050. Thus, the Commission’s final advice inadequately accounts for the financial benefits of reduced air and water pollution, increased active transport, improved housing and improved diets that could potentially result in net long-term savings to society from responding to climate change.

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Warmest New Zealand winter ever recorded – The Government should do more on climate change

Wednesday, September 4th, 2013 | Nick Wilson | No Comments

Assoc Prof Nick Wilson.

It’s official, this was the warmest winter ever recorded for New Zealand according to NIWA scientists. They also list 29 cities, towns and other sites around the country which had the highest average winter temperatures ever documented – some with records going back to the 1860s (full report). This is good news in lots of ways. Warmer winters mean more comfort, more time outdoors, lower electricity bills, less air pollution from domestic fires, and perhaps even fewer excess winter deaths (a documented problem in this country, especially for low-income New Zealanders).

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Health co-benefits need to be adequately considered in the Climate Change Commission’s final advice

Warmest New Zealand winter ever recorded – The Government should do more on climate change

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