In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its fifth assessment report, Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability (IPCC, 2014), which marked a new milestone in the assessment of the scientific evidence (see Chapter 14). The report emphasizes that extreme weather events increase the risk of heat-related death and illness and also emphasizes the health consequences of lost work capacity and reduced labour productivity.
Floods have increasingly affected most, if not all, European Member States.
The devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, in May 2014, highlight once again the need for strengthening capacities and resources for adaptation, preparedness, and resilience, which lie at the centre of political attention and action for the environment and health process. Also,
local changes in temperature and rainfall have altered the distribution of some waterborne illnesses and the emergence of invasive vector species in Europe, such as the invasive mosquitoes that transmit the viruses causing dengue fever and chikungunya fever.
Delayed action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions will increase costs and impacts. For a rise in global mean average temperature of 2.5 oC, the estimated global aggregated economic losses could be between 0.2% and 2.0% of income.
The EU estimated an annual welfare cost of €31 billion for heat-related effects by 2020. Crucially, many of the causes of climate change (such as fossil fuel combustion, poorly designed cities and overdependence on motorized transport) are also major drivers of the world’s fastest-growing public health problems (such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and road deaths). By designing a smart climate mitigation policy, such as active transport and clean energy sources, among others, efforts to reduce carbon emissions offer important co-benefits for health, which in turn result in cost savings for health care systems and for governments, in general.
Conclusions
These developments have modified the landscape of environment and health in Europe, and beyond, through gradual or (in some cases) abrupt change. Specific thematic areas are further illustrated in the following chapters, which provide an analysis of the main scientific and policy developments since the Parma Conference and also provide useful indications of the successes achieved and challenges encountered along the road to implementing the Parma commitments.
While it is essential that the commitments
and goals of the Parma Declaration are pursued until its objectives are met in all Member States, it is also important that the evolving context for evaluating progress and identifying the way forward be taken into consideration. Striking the right balance between the different priorities that call for political attention will require continuing and stepping up the discussion among different stakeholders and continuing the concerted action that has characterized the first 25 years of the European environment and health process.
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2. Health 2020
Introduction
Health 2020 is a European policy framework and strategy for public health in the 21st century. It was approved in 2012 by the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region. This value- and evidence-based framework focuses on:
improving health for all and reducing health inequality with concrete targets; improving leadership and participatory governance for health; and tackling today’s major health problems. Environment and health is one policy priority area of the general policy framework, which contributes to the overall European environment and health process on the policy level and serves as an integrative framework between sectors and stakeholders.
The vision for Health 2020 is for all people in the WHO European Region, to enable and support them to achieve their full health potential and well-being at both the individual and community level.
The links between better health, economy and environment are well established in the concept of sustainable development for sustainable societies.
People who are healthy are better able to learn, earn, and contribute positively and innovatively to the societies in which they live. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for good health.