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Improving home energy efficiency by retrofitting homes with insulation could see population health improve markedly in England and Wales, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Other ‘net zero’ policies, such as reducing red meat consumption and walking or cycling instead of driving could also see substantial reductions in mortality by 2050.
However, better housing insulation was found to be the policy which would have the greatest benefit on health. This is because housing in England and Wales is generally poorly insulated compared to other countries, and this can lead to increased risk of circulatory conditions such as blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.
Poorly insulated homes are also more susceptible to damp and mould issues, which can exacerbate issues such as bronchitis and asthma.
Co-author of the study, Dr James Milner, said the findings add to “a long list of reasons” for the UK government to adopt an “ambitious insulation policy”.
Adopting net zero policies could result in two million additional years of life by 2050
The study looked at six carbon reduction policies in total which aim to see the UK reach net zero by 2050. The researchers used modelling to estimate how these policies affect health, taking into account how much they reduce air pollution, make diets healthier and increase exercise.
Under a Balanced Pathway (in which a 60% reduction in emissions was achieved by 2035), the study estimates that, by 2050:
- Retrofitting homes with insulation would result in 836,000 life-years gained
- Reducing red meat consumption would result in 412,000 life-years gained
- Replacing car journeys with walking or cycling would result in 125,000 life-years gained
- Switching to renewable energy to power homes would result in 657,000 life-years gained, for electricity generation would result in 46,000 life-years gained and for transport would lead to 30,000 life-years gained.
This means, under the Balanced Pathway, there could be two million additional years lived across the population of England and Wales by 2050.
If consumer behaviour were to change even more rapidly with regards to diet and travel choices (known as the Widespread Engagement Pathway), the researchers estimate that there could be nearly two and a half million life-years gained by 2050.
Study may underestimate the health benefits of the policies
The authors of the study note that the modelling may underestimate the health benefits of these net zero policies, as they were unable to model all the potential health benefits. In addition, they were unable to capture the benefits of other countries implementing their net zero policies on the population of England and Wales, which is likely to reduce the air pollution travelling across from continental Europe.
Nevertheless, Dr Milner concludes that there are “significant health benefits to implementing net zero policies”. He said: “Not only are these policies essential for mitigating climate change, they also make us healthier. If we move faster in adopting more environmentally friendly diets and active ways of travelling, the health benefits will be even greater.”
He adds: “The central role played by retrofitting homes with insulation in delivering these health benefits is particularly striking. Housing in England and Wales is poorly insulated compared to other countries, so actions taken towards improving home energy efficiency prove particularly beneficial to reducing carbon emissions and improving health. The energy and cost-of-living crises this winter have provided a long list of reasons for the UK to adopt an ambitious insulation policy; our study adds better health to that list.”