• Authors: Xinyuan Huang, Wei Peng (Princeton University); Alicia Zhao, Shannon Kennedy, Gokul Iyer, Ryna Cui, Nate Hultman (University of Maryland); Yang Ou (Peking University); Haewon McJeon (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology)
• Title: Substantial Air Quality and Health Co-Benefits From Combined Federal and Subnational Climate Actions in the United States
• Journal: One Earth

This study underscores the health benefits of a holistic transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, suggesting that thousands of premature deaths can be prevented annually in the United States if energy policy is coordinated among all stakeholders — including businesses of different sectors, various levels of government, and community organizations.

The researchers arrived at this conclusion by using energy system and air quality modeling alongside public health evidence. First, they estimated the energy and emissions impacts of various possible policy actions by federal, state, and local governments as well as businesses. This includes clean energy tax credits, emissions standards, and energy efficiency mandates, for example. Then, they linked those impacts to health outcomes.

“The energy transition is complicated and sometimes contentious, partly because it involves a diverse group of stakeholders,” said Wei Peng, assistant professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. “Figuring out how to leverage and combine actions from all these actors to maximize local benefits will be important to promote widespread public support for this transition. With a focus on the health benefits, this study aims to offer insights into this critical policy challenge.”

In addition to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the impacts of climate change, the study found that scaling up clean energy technologies like wind, solar, heat pumps, and electric vehicles will lead to widespread health co-benefits across the country.

Places that adopt clean energy policies to displace highly polluting activities such as coal, diesel, and biomass uses will be able to reduce emissions, mitigating exposure to fine particulate matter associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The study estimates that combining federal and subnational clean energy actions could reduce 6,600 premature deaths nationally in 2030, with net health co-benefits found in every state and nearly all U.S. counties.

Policymakers increasingly recognize the air quality and health co-benefits from climate mitigation efforts, yet it remains unclear which combination of policy actions can bring more health co-benefits with more equitable distributions.

The study suggests that a comprehensive approach involving everyone — federal policies alongside actions from states, cities, businesses, and communities — can significantly reduce premature deaths caused by air pollution across the United States.

This would improve health outcomes by up to 21% in every state and up to 29% in nearly all counties by 2030.

“Climate and energy policies are just one of many drivers that will influence our pollution and health futures,” Peng said. “Policy actions to mitigate air pollution directly, such as installing pollution control devices on polluting facilities and vehicles, will continue to be important to improve air quality. In addition, healthcare access and other health policy actions are also critical to mitigate the mortality and morbidity impacts from pollution exposure.”