Austrian Special Report 2018 (ASR18) Summary for policymakers and synthesis
This report details the effects of climate change on health that are already being felt today and can be classified as an increasing threat to health in Austria. The most severe and farreaching effects to be expected are health impacts due to heat. Also changes in ecosystems which influence the distribution, frequency, types and severity of pollen allergies and vector-borne infectious diseases and alter the patterns of precipitation and storms will threaten health. Furthermore, changing demographic structure and composition including population aging and migration can increase the number of people exposed to health risks. The health impacts of climate change are not distributed evenly across population sub-groups as older people, for instance, are physiologically more susceptible to extreme heat whilst migrants with lower socioeconomic resources dispose of a reduced adaptive capacity.
The report finds that efforts to mitigate climate change can also yield health benefits and these health co-benefits of climate change mitigation should be emphasised when promoting climate actions. In terms of nutrition, reducing excessive consumption of meat can both improve health and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With respect to mobility, a shift towards more active mobility such as walking and cycling and public transport, especially in cities, reduces healthrelated pollutants and noise pollution, encourages healthy movement and reduces GHG emissions. Reduction of climate-relevant air traffic also diminishes adverse health effects. With regard to housing, a large proportion of single-family and duplex houses in newly developed residential areas is to be challenged as it uses a lot of space, materials and energy. Attractive apartment buildings as an alternative to a house in a green area require funding and promotion by health-enhancing and climate-friendly urban planning. Thermal renovation reduces the heat stress during the summer half-year. Likewise, health-care activities contribute to climate change and reducing the carbon footprint of the healthcare sector is necessary. In fact, pharmaceutical products are responsible for a major share of the carbon footprint. Avoiding unnecessary diagnostics and therapies, for instance, can reduce GHG emissions, risks for patients and health-related costs.