Global health equity and climate stabilisation: the need for a common

agenda

Sharon FrielThe Australian National University

& University College London

IUHPE, Geneva July 2010

Greenhouse gas emitters

Patz et al, 2007

Density-equalling cartogram. Billion tonnes of carbon equivalent, 2002

“the carbon footprint of the poorest 1 billion people on the planet is around 3 percent of the world’s total footprint.” (HDR, 2007)

Dangerous climate change

“On current trends, average global

temperatures could rise by 2 - 3°C within the next fifty years or so, leading to many

severe impacts, often mediated by water,

including more frequent droughts and

floods”

(Stern, 2006)

“The rich will find their world to be more expensive, inconvenient, uncomfortable, disrupted and colourless – in general, more

unpleasant and unpredictable, perhaps greatly so. The poor will

die.”

Smith 2008

Adaptation apartheid

Deaths attributable to climate change between 1970s and 2000

Patz et al, 2007

Density-equalling cartogram. 4 health outcomes – malaria, malnutrition, diarrhea, inland flooding fatalities

Adapted McMichael et al, 2008

Human Society- governance- norms & values- economic policy- trade- urbanisation- demography

Daily Exposures & Vulnerabilities- livelihoods- economic production- social cohesion- physical environment- air quality- energy supply- food yields- microbes

Climate Changes- temperature- water: flooding- water: drought Health &

Health Inequities- infectious disease- mental health- heat stress- malnutrition- respiratory

Common causes – common solutions

AJ Houweling, 2008

Climate Change

Urbanisation

Health Inequity

Balk et al 2008, in UNHABITAT State of the World’s Cities 2009

Levels of Urbanisation, 2000 (by Ecosystem)

Urban population in the Low Elevation Coastal Zone

McGranahan et al 2007

Transport, Energy and Urban Dwellers

Worldwatch Institute, 2007

A bi-directional relationship

Climate Change

Diet-relatedHealth and

HealthInequities

The Food System

Climate change impact on agricultural yields

World Development Report, World Bank 2010

Global Hunger Index 2009

1 billion undernourished people in the developing world

Hunger in the rich world

“In the last 12 months were there any times that you ran out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more?”

- unemployed (23%)- single parent households (23%)- second lowest income quintile (20%)- young people (15%)

Burns 2004

Food insecurity

Quiggan 2009 based on ABS CPI data 2007

Consumer price impact of drought and other severe weather events, Australia

Grain and dairy export subsidies and import restrictions are creating an imbalance in food availability and livelihoods between countries

Fair and sustainable trade arrangements?

The food and agriculture sector contributes 16-29% of total global GHG emissions

~ 80% of agriculture’s GHG emissions arise directly from the livestock sector

Smith et al 2007, FAO 2006

An

imal

pro

du

ce in

take

Kca

l per

p

erso

n p

er

da

y

Adapted from FAO (2006)

Technological change plus 30% reduction in production in livestock

Resulting decrease in burden of Ischaemic Heart Disease:15% DALYs, 17% premature deaths in UK16% DALYs, 17% premature deaths in São Paulo (Brazil)

Friel et al. (2009). "Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: food and agriculture." The Lancet 374(9706): 2016-2025.

Coherence across the system?

Food and agriculture

Social

Urban planning

Health