Evidence-informed policy for tackling adverse climate change effects on health: Linking regional and global assessments of science to catalyse action

Actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) can benefit population health locally and in the near term, such as by reducing exposure to co-emitted air pollutants. Health co-benefits of mitigation Policies proposed to mitigate climate change provide global health benefits through reduced impacts and could also lead to localised improvements in the health of those populations undertaking the mitigation [12]. Identifying health protection and improvement as priority outcomes in the NDCs requires (i) continuing commitment to measuring and monitoring the health co-benefits; (ii) ensuring policy coherence between climate change and health policy processes; and (iii) that health actions in the NDCs are comprehensive enough to build climate-resilient health systems [13]. Examples of mitigation actions: linking scientific evidence and policy objectives. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003719.t001 Challenges for adapting to health effects of climate change Some examples of assessment of the scientific evidence are provided in Table 2, drawn from specific regions to illustrate the evidence, but in many cases, the issues are relevant worldwide.