A multi-scalar, stakeholder-focused investigation of the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation strategies, backed by empirical research interventions in India

Having declared a 2070 net-zero target at COP26, India will benefit greatly from aligning its climate action strategies with public health goals. This project seeks to fill crucial evidence gaps and inform equitable, health-centered climate mitigation policies and practice. We propose to analyze and implement climate mitigation solutions at national, city, community, and individual levels, explicitly engaging diverse government and community stakeholders to reduce uncertainties, build capacity, and multiply impact. We will collaborate with NITI Aayog to forecast the health impacts of climate mitigation strategies through 2070. Thereafter, we will advocate for mitigation policies that best protect health in regular convenings with NITI. Second, we will analyze Climate Action Plans in Delhi and Chennai that reduce the emissions from electricity supply at the city level and provide policy briefings to city mayors recommending specific policy action. Third, we will co-design community level e-cooking interventions that support a transition away from coal for domestic use in Rajhara Coal-mine, Jharkhand and evaluate its health and socioeconomic impacts. Finally, we will develop a fellowship for a diverse, transdisciplinary cohort of health professionals to learn about climate change’s impacts on health and develop climate action projects to improve the health of their communities.