The UK response: adaptation and mitigation strategies Professor Dame Sally C Davies Director General Research and Development Department of Health.

The UK response: adaptation and mitigation strategies

Professor Dame Sally C Davies

Director General

Research and Development

Department of Health

• Health effects of climate change

• Adaptation

• Mitigation

• Research– Living with Environmental Change

Research Programme

Outline of Talk

Health Effects of Climate Change

(IPCC 4th Report)

Health Effects of Climate Change

• Heatwave-related health problems

• Air pollution – Respiratory & Cardiovascular effects

• Flooding / mental health consequences

• Infectious / vector-borne diseases

• Sunburn, skin cancer

• Water & Food shortages

• Extreme weather-related events (injuries/death)

• But, decrease in cold-related illness & deaths

HeatwaveNational Heatwave Plan

DH (annually since 2004)Flooding

NHS Emergency Planning GuidanceDH/HPA (2009)

Food-borne disease

‘Bugs like it hot’ campaignFood Standards Agency (2007)

Air Pollution

UK Air Quality StrategyDepartment for Environment,

Food & Rural Affairs (2007)

Adaptation – current plans

Climate Change Act (2008) and Adaptation Planning

• Targets - Reduction of UK carbon emissions by at least 34% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050, (1990 baseline levels

• Accountability - Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and Sub Committee on Adaptation

• Action plans – Key public bodies and utilities companies required to have plans and Government Departments to publish Climate Change Plans in Spring 2010

• Evidence - UK Climate Projections published 2009

• The NHS – biggest business in England – contributes approx 25% of the public

sector’s total carbon emissions– 1 in 20 journeys in the UK associated

with the NHS

Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier (DH 2004)

• NHS Energy and Carbon Efficiency Targets (£100m Energy Efficiency Sustainability Fund)

• ‘The Health Impact of Climate Change - Promoting Sustainable Communities’

(DH 2008)

Mitigation – ‘Good Corporate Citizen’

Figure 1a - 2004 NHS England Carbon/CO2 Emissions Primary Sector Breakdown

18%

22%59%

Travel

Building energy use

Procurement

Measure and manage:The carbon footprint of NHS England(c. 20 million tonnes carbon dioxide eq p.a.)

Travel: patients, staff, visitors = c.20%

Energy: heating, lighting, hot water, ventilation, cooling = c. 20%

Procurement: supply chain activities of companies producing goods and services= c. 60%

NHS Sustainable Development Unit

• Helps the NHS in England fulfil its potential as a leading sustainable and low-carbon organisation

• NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy (2009 - building design, transport, waste, food, water & energy use)

• Fit for the Future (2009 - Scenarios for low-carbon healthcare 2030)

• ‘Health is Global’ - A UK Government Strategy, 2008-13.

• UK co-chairs the WHO (Europe) Climate Change Task Force, to develop a Framework for Action on Climate Change and Health.

• WHO European Environment and Health Ministerial Conference, Parma, 2010

‘Climate Change is Global’

The LWEC partnership brings together 20 UK organisations funding, undertaking and using environmental research to accelerate the delivery of research on environmental change into policy and business.

LWEC Objectives

A. To predict the impacts of climate change and to promote sustainable solutions through mitigation and adaptation

B. To manage ecosystem services for human well-being and to protect the natural environment as it changes

C. To promote human well-being, alleviate poverty and minimise waste by ensuring a sustainable supply of food and water

D. To protect human, plant and animal health from diseases, pests and environmental hazards

E. To make infrastructure, the built environment and transport systems resilient to environmental change

F. To understand how people respond to a changing environment and develop thriving, cohesive and informed communities

How to deliver a low carbon

society?

How to ensure food,

water and human

security?

How to increase the resilience of vulnerable

people, places and

infrastructure?

• is helping to maximize the policy impact of scientific advances

• is providing solutions to the challenge of environmental change

• aims to produce world class science that meets the needs of society

Reducing carbon emissions in research

• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has established an expert committee to produce guidelines for reducing carbon emissions in research

• Recent BMJ publication showed most of carbon emissions in RCTs is due to travel (K Lyle et al. BMJ 2009 339 4187)

• estimate average CO2 emission of randomised trials is 78.4 tonnes

Thank you

Professor Dame Sally C DaviesDirector GeneralResearch and DevelopmentDepartment of Health