Carbon pricing in New Zealand: implications for public health.
The likely health effects of climate change make it one of the most pressing global public health issues of our time. Effects range from more intense and frequent cyclones, flooding, and heat waves through to changing infectious disease patterns, food and water insecurity, sea-level rise, and economic and social disruption. The governments of almost all developed nations are now focusing their attention on national policy responses to the threat of climate change. In New Zealand, it is currently unclear what path our current government will take to contribute to the global response and fulfil our Kyoto obligations. In this paper we discuss the main carbon pricing options currently under consideration, and their implications for health and health inequities in New Zealand. We summarise the literature about the likely health and equity implications of different kinds of carbon pricing policy. A health sector voice in these significant policy decisions is vital to ensuring a policy that both addresses the threats to wellbeing of climate change, and maximises the potential health and equity win-wins of an adequate and well-designed response.
Dhar
Divya
D
Faculty of Medical and Health Science, School of Medicine, , University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand.
Macmillan
Alexandra
A
Lindsay
Graeme
G
Woodward
Alistair
A