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Cited by 1,129Urban Transport and AccessibilityAir Quality and Health ImpactsClimate Change and Health Impacts

Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport

Woodcock, James, Edwards, Phil, Tonne, Cathryn, Armstrong, Ben G, Ashiru, Olu, Banister, David, Beevers, Sean, Chalabi, Zaid +11 more·2009·The Lancet
DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(09)61714-1
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Abstract

We used Comparative Risk Assessment methods to estimate the health effects of alternative urban land transport scenarios for two settings-London, UK, and Delhi, India. For each setting, we compared a business-as-usual 2030 projection (without policies for reduction of greenhouse gases) with alternative scenarios-lower-carbon-emission motor vehicles, increased active travel, and a combination of the two. We developed separate models that linked transport scenarios with physical activity, air pollution, and risk of road traffic injury. In both cities, we noted that reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through an increase in active travel and less use of motor vehicles had larger health benefits per million population (7332 disability-adjusted life-years [DALYs] in London, and 12 516 in Delhi in 1 year) than from the increased use of lower-emission motor vehicles (160 DALYs in London, and 1696 in Delhi). However, combination of active travel and lower-emission motor vehicles would give the largest benefits (7439 DALYs in London, 12 995 in Delhi), notably from a reduction in the number of years of life lost from ischaemic heart disease (10-19% in London, 11-25% in Delhi). Although uncertainties remain, climate change mitigation in transport should benefit public health substantially. Policies to increase the acceptability, appeal, and safety of active urban travel, and discourage travel in private motor vehicles would provide larger health benefits than would policies that focus solely on lower-emission motor vehicles.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0140-6736(09)61714-1

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  • In many cases, cobenefits outweigh the mitigation benefits of specific GHG emission reduction strategies.

    “In many cases, cobenefits outweigh the mitigation benefits of specific GHG emission reduction strategies.”

    From Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being (2022) · cites this paper as [60]

  • Improved outdoor air quality in cities results from reduced private motorized mobility using combustion and diesel engines and from more active mobility, often associated with the more accessible environments of compact cities.

    “it includes cobenefits from improved outdoor air quality in cities, resulting from reduced private motorized mobility using combustion and diesel engines, and from more active mobility 60,61 , often associated with the more accessible environments of compact cities 62”

    From Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being (2022) · cites this paper as [60]

  • A shift to active, non-motorized transport achieves even larger health benefits than electrification of transport.

    “However, a shift to active, non-motorized transport achieves even larger health benefits than electrification of transport 60,73”

    From Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being (2022) · cites this paper as [60]

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Authors
Woodcock, J., Edwards, P., Tonne, C., Armstrong, B. G., Ashiru, O., Banister, D., Beevers, S., Chalabi, Z., Chowdhury, Z., Cohen, A., Franco, O. H., Haines, A., Hickman, R., Lindsay, G., Mittal, I., Mohan, D., Tiwari, G., Woodward, A., & Roberts, I.
Affiliations
  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • King's College London (GB)
  • San Diego State University (US)
  • Health Effects Institute (US)
  • University of Warwick (GB)
  • University of Auckland (NZ)
  • Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IN)
Corresponding author
Woodcock, James
ORCID
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-12
Volume
374
Issue
9705
Pages
1930-1943
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
DOI
10.1016/s0140-6736(09)61714-1
OpenAlex
W2150478821
Cited by
1,129
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 56 · 2021: 91 · 2020: 95 · 2019: 78 · 2018: 89 · 2017: 84 · 2016: 93 · 2015: 83 · 2014: 62 · 2013: 57 · 2012: 64
FWCI
118.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
  • ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
Keywords
greenhouse gas emissions, climate change mitigation, active travel, road traffic injuries, air pollution, physical activity, disability-adjusted life years, ischemic heart disease, years of life lost, transport policy, London, Delhi
MeSH terms
Air Pollution, Vehicle Emissions, Behavior, Humans, India, London, Urban Health, Greenhouse Effect, Motor Vehicles

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