Balancing short-term and long-term climate-health equity strategies: a framework for supporting faster, fairer joint action on climate change and health equity

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we propose an integrated framework to support and accelerate joint action on climate change and health equity. We introduce a ‘healthy climate, healthy people’ framework, designed to support the complex task of synchronising these two significant justice challenges. The framework includes four domains for joint action: (1) Health in all climate mitigation policies; (2) Mitigation with health equity ‘co-benefits’; (3) Pro-poor climate adaptation and (4) Greening health equity. We discuss practical implications for policy-makers, including the importance of attending to the health equity dimensions of both climate change and climate action; the value of increasing the use of rapid health equity assessment tools and harm-reducing (redistributive and compensatory) policy measures; the importance of community knowledge and the critical role of ‘fair effort sharing’ and tackling the emissions of the wealthy.