Introduction
The European Green Deal refocused the European Commission’s commitment of tackling climate and environment-related challenges. It also aims to protect, conserve and enhance the EU’s natural capital, and protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts. In addition to aiming for climate neutrality by 2050, the Commission adopted a more ambitious EU strategy on adaptation to climate change on 24 February 2021. This is essential, as climate change will continue to create significant stress in Europe in spite of the mitigation efforts.
Scope
The aim of this topic is the identification, monitoring and quantification of direct and indirect impacts on human health, including in occupational settings, and related risk factors correlated to climate change, especially in vulnerable population groups such as children or in groups at risk such as workers. Innovative surveillance tools are further required to ensure a timely response to emerging threats, to feed and strengthen early warning systems, and to enable the design, monitoring and evaluation of interventions. This may include mathematical modelling with big data and artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing, citizen science and biomarkers of exposure or virulence.
Objectives
– Research on the relationships between changes in environmental hazards caused by climate change, the impacts on interrelated ecosystems and their influence on human health;
– Climate induced emergence and transmission of pathogens and spread of zoonotic pathogens using Eco-health and One Health approaches;
– Development of predictive models and early warning systems for exposure and health impacts of climate change based on transparent assumptions and architecture;
– Development of tools for health impact and cost-benefit assessment of climate-change adaptation and mitigation measures;
– Investigation of health co-benefits of adaptation and mitigation policy measures outside the health sector;
– Demonstration of the validity of tools and methods developed in the above listed activities in policy-relevant case studies;
– Determination of the societal implications of climate change on health systems, including occupational health, and development of adaptation measures;
– Development of training materials and guidelines to educate relevant actors in citizens’ daily life on climate change health impacts and to facilitate adaptation of health systems and practices;
– Delivery of FAIR data on positive and negative health impacts of climate change, including impact on groups at higher risk or vulnerability.-
