The absence of reliable access to clean energy and the services it provides imposes a large disease burden on low-income populations and impedes prospects for development. Furthermore, current patterns of fossil-fuel use cause substantial ill-health from air pollution and occupational hazards.

Impending climate change, mainly driven by energy use, now also threatens health. Policies to promote access to non-polluting and sustainable sources of energy have great potential both to improve public health and to mitigate (prevent) climate disruption.

There are several technological options, policy levers, and economic instruments for sectors such as power generation, transport, agriculture, and the built environment.

We are undertaking research to describe the public health implications of energy policies. Policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions could also substantially reduce obesity, dia-betes, heart disease, cancer, road deaths and injuries, and air pollution.

The need for policies that prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate while addressing the energy needs of disadvantaged people is a central challenge of the current era.

• INTARESE. Integrated assessment of health impacts of environmental stressors: Housing.
• IntraWise (An INTegrated fRAmeWork for Improving Sustainability of the indoor Environment)
• PUrE (Pollution and the Urban Environment)
• LUCID (Development of a local urban climate model and its application to the intelligent development of cities)
• Warm Front evaluation
• Evaluation of congestion Charging Scheme in London and Low Emissions Zone
• Cochrane Injuries Group

Publications

• Carson C, Hajat S, Armstrong B, Wilkinson P (2006) Declining Vulnerability to Temperature-related mortality in London over the 20th century. American Journal of Epidemiology; 164(1): 77-84.
• Hutchinson E, Wilkinson P, Hong SH, Oreszczyn T (2006) Can we improve the identification of cold homes for targeted energy efficiency improvements? Applied Energy; 83: 1198-2094.
• Oreszczyn T, Sung H, Ridley I, Wilkinson P (2006) Mould and winter indoor relative humidity in low income households in England. Journal of Indoor and Built Environment; 15:2: 125-135.
• Oreszczyn T, Wilkinson P, Sung H, Ridley I for the Warm Front Study Group (2006) Determinants of winter indoor temperatures in low income households in England. Energy & Buildings; 38(3): 245-252.
• Haines A, Smith KR, Anderson D, Epstein R, McMichael AJ, Roberts I, Wilkinson P, Woodcock J, Woods J (2007) Policies for accelerating access to clean energy, improving health, advancing development, and mitigating climate change. The Lancet; 370(9594): 1264-81; doi 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61257-4.
• Wilkinson P, Smith KR, Joffe M, Haines A (2007) A global perspective on energy: health effects and injustices. The Lancet; 370(9591): 965-78 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61252-5
• Markandya A, Wilkinson P (2007) Electricity generation and health. The Lancet; 370(9591): 979-90 doi 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61253-7.
• Wilkinson P, Smith KR, Beevers S, Tonne C, Oreszczyn T (2007) Energy, energy efficiency and the built environment. The Lancet; 370(9593): 1175-87 doi 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61255-0.
• Wilkinson P (2007) Energy efficiency and the health of older people. In: Dangour A, Grundy E, Fletcher A (editors) Ageing well: nutrition, health and social intervention. London: CRC Press LLC; pp 103-15.
• Barratt B, Atkinson R, Anderson HR, Beevers S, Kelly F, Mudway I, Wilkinson P (2007) Investigation into the use of the CUSUM technique in identifying changes in mean air pollution levels following introduction of a traffic management scheme. Atmospheric Environment; 41(8): 1784-1791.
• Wilkinson P (2008) Climate change & health: the case for sustainable development. Medicine, Conflict and Survival; 24(2, suppl): April-June.
• Roberts I (2008) The economics of tackling climate change. BMJ; 336(7637):165-6.
• Tonne C, Beevers S, Armstrong B, Kelly F, Wilkinson P (2008) Air pollution and mortality benefits of the London Congestion Charge: spatial and socioeconomic inequalities. Occupational and Environmental Medicine; 65(9): 620-7.

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