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. 2018 Dec;109(5-6):779-781.
doi: 10.17269/s41997-018-0099-5. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Carbon pricing: a win-win environmental and public health policy

Anshula Ambasta  1 , Jonathan J Buonocore  2
Affiliations

Carbon pricing: a win-win environmental and public health policy

Anshula Ambasta et al. Can J Public Health. 2018 Dec.

Abstract
in English, French

Carbon pricing is an important tool for mitigating climate change. Carbon pricing can have significant health co-benefits. Air pollution from fossil fuels leads to detrimental health effects, including premature mortality, heart attacks, hospitalization from cardiorespiratory conditions, stroke, asthma exacerbations, and absenteeism from school and work, and may also be linked to autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Reduction in fossil fuel combustion through a carbon price can lead to improvements in all these areas of health. It can also improve health by encouraging active transportation choices and improving ecosystems. Furthermore, it can promote health equity in society and improve overall societal health where the revenue from carbon pricing is used as a progressive redistribution mechanism for low-income households. Hence, carbon pricing is a win-win environmental and public health policy and an important step toward achieving Canada's emission target by 2030. However, carbon pricing has several potential pitfalls which need to be considered in the design and implementation of any such policy. As Canada moves ahead with mandatory carbon pricing this fall, it is important to monitor its impact, evaluate it objectively, and modify and complement as necessary with policies and regulations.

La tarification du carbone est un important outil d’atténuation des changements climatiques. Elle peut aussi présenter des avantages conjoints considérables sur le plan de la santé. La pollution de l’air due aux combustibles fossiles a des effets nuisibles sur la santé, dont la mortalité précoce, les crises cardiaques, les hospitalisations pour troubles respiratoires, les accidents vasculaires cérébraux, l’exacerbation de l’asthme et l’absentéisme à l’école et au travail; elle pourrait aussi être liée au trouble du spectre autistique et à la maladie d’Alzheimer. La réduction de la combustion des combustibles fossiles par le prix du carbone peut donc conduire à des améliorations de tous ces aspects de la santé. Elle peut aussi améliorer la santé encourageant les options de transport actif et en améliorant les écosystèmes. De plus, elle peut favoriser l’équité en santé dans la société et améliorer la santé sociétale globale lorsque les recettes de la tarification du carbone servent de mécanisme de redistribution progressif vers les ménages à faible revenu. La tarification du carbone est donc une formule gagnante sur le plan de l’environnement et de la santé publique, ainsi qu’un pas important pour respecter les cibles d’émission du Canada d’ici 2030. Par contre, une telle politique recèle plusieurs pièges dont il faut tenir compte dans sa conception et sa mise en œuvre. Comme le Canada va de l’avant avec la tarification obligatoire du carbone à l’automne 2018, il est important d’en surveiller les incidences, d’en faire une évaluation objective, et de la modifier ou de la compléter par les politiques et la réglementation nécessaires.

Keywords: Air pollution; Carbon levy; Carbon pricing; Carbon tax pitfalls; Health co-benefits.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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