ICF: Healthy Low-Carbon Transport Hub (HLTH)

Accelerated transport decarbonisation is essential for the UK to meet CO2e emissions requirements. Measures adopted must maximise physical/mental health co-benefits, but this has not been the case historically. Replacing petrol with diesel cars to reduce CO2e emissions led to poorer air quality and health outcomes; such mistakes must be avoided in future. Potential health benefits of some forms of low-carbon transport, including increased physical activity and cleaner air, are beyond doubt. However, mental health/wellbeing benefits are less clearly evidenced; and some forms of low-carbon travel are being promoted without full consideration of health implications (for example, increased particulate emissions and weight/acceleration of electric cars). Health impacts and inequalities might also arise from societal/economic trends and policy measures to reduce the need to travel, for example through remote (home)working. Also, attempts by planners, engineers, public health experts and government to promote health-beneficial forms of transport have had mixed success; for example, cycle networks and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) have been blocked or resisted.

Echoing the November 2023 Lancet Pathfinder Commission report "Pathways to a healthy net-zero future", the Healthy Low-carbon Transport Hub (HLTH) aims at "full integration of health co-benefits and equity considerations into the delivery of the Paris Climate Agreement" for transport and the associated built environment. HLTH will focus on (i) modifying transport decarbonisation interventions to maximise health co-benefits and (ii) developing co-creation processes with policymakers and the public to enhance decarbonisation intervention acceptability and effectiveness. Our principal objectives are to:

develop a transdisciplinary conceptual framework of evidence for potential and realised health co-benefits and disbenefits of transport decarbonisation measures across the Avoid-Reduce-Improve spectrum
identify barriers, incentives and accelerants to implementing healthy low-carbon transport schemes
develop transdisciplinary assessment frameworks with appraisal/evaluation metrics, to accelerate the adoption, implementation and success of healthy low-carbon travel schemes
propose and evaluate new pathways towards maximising health co-benefits and reducing health inequalities associated with low-carbon transport interventions.