Environmental sustainability and planning for climate adaptation and mitigation have been central to my work. My research on climate has focused on policy implementation and I have produced several policy guidance documents on climate change mitigation and adaptation through urban planning. My book on Healthy Urbanism describes strategies to promote planetary and ecosystem health through urban development, in ways that will also support health.
Buildings and climate mitigation
The actions that we need to take to avoid severe climate change will help us in the short-term to improve health. This 2021 report from the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences covered the latest evidence about health co-benefits from climate change mitigation and adaptation. I contributed to the section on buildings, where we argued that increasing energy efficiency in homes can reduce cold-related deaths. Integrated design is needed to avoid risking overheating and poor ventilation.
The report offers 4 recommendations, including:
- Incorporating health into the climate narrative
- Integrating climate adaptation and mitigation policies to benefit health
- Developing metrics to assess health impacts
- Promoting transdisciplinary systems approaches to address the complex interaction between climate change mitigation and health
Other research on climate and the built environment
I led a qualitative international exploratory study identifying strengths and weaknesses in the application of sustainable building standards through social research with property professionals. Read more.
I have provided policy application knowledge in research projects developing urban climate change projections and guidelines for modelling health effects of climate mitigation actions.
- Goodess et al. (2021) Climate change projections for sustainable and healthy cities
- Hess et al. (2020) Guidelines for Modeling and Reporting Health Effects of Climate Change Mitigation Actions
As part of the CUSSH project I collaborated across Wellcome Trust Our Planet Our Health grantees to contribute a methodological foundation for impactful urban planetary health science, including transdisciplinary approaches. Pineo et al. (2020) Building a Methodological Foundation for Impactful Urban Planetary Health Science