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Inaction on Climate Change Projected to Reduce European Life Expectancy

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  • Mathew E. Hauer

    (Florida State University
    Florida State University)

  • Alexis R. Santos-Lozada

    (Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

Climate change-related excess mortality estimates clearly demonstrate a dramatic impact on public health and human mortality. However, life expectancy at birth is more easily communicated and understood by the public. By properly situating climate change mortality within the contexts of life expectancy, we better represent the cost of climate change on longevity. In this paper, we convert excess mortality estimates due to increases in extreme weather from climate change (heat waves, cold waves, droughts, wildfires, river and coastal floods, and windstorms) into potential reductions in life expectancy at birth in thirty-one European countries. We project climate change extremes to reduce life expectancy at birth by 0.24 years for the average European country with differences in excess of 1.0 years in some countries by 2100. We only estimate the impact of mortality directly related to climate extremes, making our estimates conservative. Thus, the cost of inaction on climate change could approach, and likely to exceed, one year of life in some European countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Mathew E. Hauer & Alexis R. Santos-Lozada, 2021. "Inaction on Climate Change Projected to Reduce European Life Expectancy," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(3), pages 629-638, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:40:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-020-09584-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-020-09584-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Risto Conte Keivabu & Marco Cozzani & Joshua Wilde, 2023. "Temperature and fertility: evidence from Spanish register data," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2023-021, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    3. Domicián Máté & Adam Novotny & Daniel Francois Meyer, 2021. "The Impact of Sustainability Goals on Productivity Growth: The Moderating Role of Global Warming," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, October.
    4. Risto Conte Keivabu, 2022. "Extreme Temperature and Mortality by Educational Attainment in Spain, 2012–2018," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 1145-1182, December.

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