Existing climate targets do not consider or identify the impact of successful pathways that also achieve an environment that supports and protects human health. This project seeks to develop “headline indicators” of human well-being that can assess the relative impact on health of global progress towards global temperature targets. It will illustrate these targets with analysis of the health impacts of air pollution, a major cause of death and disease globally that is fundamentally linked to the climate challenge through fossil fuel use. Project researchers aim to develop and establish novel climate-health targets; determine the most effective solutions to achieve these targets; and quantify risks and consequences of these global solutions. They envision two key outcomes: to build capacity to bring research to bear on policy-decision-making, and to enhance the scientific basis for action to address future sustainability challenges with a focus on human well-being. 

The research on this project recognizes that limiting human-forced climate change will have substantial benefits for human health and well-being in nations, regions, cities, and communities around the globe, relative to a warmer future. However, the majority of climate targets and climate-policy mechanisms do not explicitly consider or identify the impact of pathways that achieve a “healthy” environment that supports and protects human health. The project’s research is supporting the development of “headline indicators” of human well-being. These indicators, in turn, can assess the relative impact on health from progress towards global temperature targets. We will illustrate these targets with analysis of the health impacts of air pollution, a major cause of death and disease globally that is fundamentally linked to the climate challenge through fossil fuel use.