Climate change and public health indicators: scoping review

This report reviews the current sets of environmental and public health indicators that can be used to monitor progress in climate change adaptation and mitigation in the United Kingdom (UK), with a focus on England and priorities for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The review was undertaken from spring 2021 to autumn 2022, reviewing indicators and data sources which were openly available at the time. A climate resilient UK requires a comprehensive intersectoral programme to protect and improve population health.

The report states that most actions aimed at the low carbon transition have health effects. Their potential impact on population health is often very large, especially if changes of the range and scale required by the net zero pathway are achieved. The health impacts are also expected to occur with a short time lag because they are a consequence of fairly rapid changes in exposure or behaviour. Most of the ancillary health effects of net zero policies are, or can be, beneficial (such as reductions in outdoor air pollution).