A tool for assessing the climate change mitigation and health impacts of environmental policies: the Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation (CRAFT)

Background: A growing number of cities, including Greater London, have set ambitious targets, detailed policies and implementation plans, to reach global goals on sustainability, health, climate change. Here we present a tool for rapid assessment the magnitude impact specific policy initiatives these targets. The decision-support simultaneously quantifies environmental health impacts specified selected policies. Methods: ‘Cities Rapid Assessment Framework Transformation (CRAFT)’ was applied London. CRAFT effects ten changes in (1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, (2) exposures hazards, (3) travel-related physical activity, (4) mortality (the attributable deaths avoided one typical year). Publicly available data epidemiological evidence were used make quantitative estimates based proportional reductions GHG emissions from current baseline levels compute impacts. Results: that, roughly 50,000 annual modelled hazards (PM2.5 (from indoor outdoor sources), NO2, radon, cold, overheating) low activity are responsible approximately 10,000 premature environment-related deaths. Implementing polices could reduce by about 20% (~1,900 deaths) 2050. majority (1,700) may be through increased uptake active travel. Thus, out policies, ‘active travel’ provides greatest benefit. Also, implementing results reduction around 90%. Conclusions: city reducing decreasing improving public health. has potential value makers providing support prioritise options.