Health behavior in the context of climate change

Climate change is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. In order to mitigate health consequences of climate change, there is another approach besides adaptation (= reactive adaptation): mitigation, i.e. proactive reduction of global warming through preventive measures.

Effective approaches that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions include reducing motorized transportation as well as reducing meat consumption. Livestock, especially ruminants (e.g. cattle, sheep), contribute significantly to emissions of methane, a highly climate-damaging gas [1]. Modelling studies suggest that greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by at least 30 %, if less amounts of meat were eaten population-wide, and if motorized transportation was replaced by active transportation (bicycling, walking) [2].

Reducing meat consumption and increasing active transportation can also be beneficial for health, so these climate-friendly behaviours also have "health co-benefits" [3]. High consumption of red meat or highly processed meat is associated with increased mortality [4, 5]. Specifically, highly processed meat is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and various malignancies [4-7]. Regular physical activity may reduce the risk of malignancy and cardiovascular disease [8, 9]. Regular cycling may also help reduce stress [10].

An example of "co-benefits": data from EsKiMo II (Eating study as a KiGGS module, 2nd survey, 2015-2017) show that 6- to 11-year-old children eat 71 g of meat and meat products per day, which corresponds to a total of about 2 kg of meat/meat products per child per month (see also Richter et al, 2022). The meat/meat products consumed on average per day are estimated to cause about 440 kg of CO2 equivalents per child per year. Reducing daily consumption to the 40 g/day recommended in child nutrition would result in a reduction to 250 kg CO2 equivalents per year per child. The amount of CO2 saved in this way would be equivalent to approximately 1,500 kilometers driven in a car that produces 120 g of CO2 per kilometer.

Currently, we know little about how many people are aware of the link between their own physical activity and diet on the one hand and climate change on the other hand. Furthermore, it is unclear whether knowledge about the climate relevance of these behavioural patterns could motivate people to exercise more and consume less meat. The HeraCliP PhD project addresses these questions by (a) performing a scoping review, and (b) analysing various population-based data.

Research activities

Ph.D. Project "HeraCliP" - Health Behavior and Climate Protection

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