AUTHOR=Barban Pierre , De Nazelle Audrey , Chatelin Stéphane , Quirion Philippe , Jean Kévin 

TITLE=Assessing the Health Benefits of Physical Activity Due to Active Commuting in a French Energy Transition Scenario

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605012

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1605012

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> Energy transition scenarios are prospective outlooks describing combinations of changes in socio-economic systems that are compatible with climate targets. These changes could have important health co-benefits. We aimed to quantify the health benefits of physical activity caused by active transportation on all-cause mortality in the French negaWatt scenario over the 2021–2050 period.</p><p><bold>Methods;</bold> Relying on a health impact assessment framework, we quantified the health benefits of increased walking, cycling and E-biking projected in the negaWatt scenario. The negaWatt scenario assumes increases of walking and cycling volumes of +11% and +612%, respectively, over the study period.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> As compared to a scenario with no increase in volume of active travel, we quantified that the negaWatt scenario would prevent 9,797 annual premature deaths in 2045 and translate into a 3-month increase in life expectancy in the general population. These health gains would generate €34 billion of economic benefits from 2045 onwards.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Increased physical activity implied in the negaWatt transition scenario would generate substantial public health benefits, which are comparable to the gain expected by large scale health prevention interventions.</p>