Counting on … day 8

10th January 2025

Daily travel is an area where we can both reduce adverse effects on the environment and improve our health and wellbeing. Recently the Lancet carried out an extensive piece of research on the co-benefits of active travel. 

The report began -“Private car use contributes substantially to carbon emissions, air pollution, and noise pollution. Furthermore, car dependency fosters a spectrum of health and social issues, including congestion, road injuries and fatalities, psychological distress, and sedentary lifestyles that increase susceptibility to obesity and chronic diseases. Conversely, active travel (also known as active transport or active commuting), which refers to travel behaviour involving physical activity such as walking and cycling to or from destinations, contributes to higher rates of physical activity overall…active travel interventions are likely to yield broader co-benefits, such as environmental (eg, carbon emissions and air pollution), economic (eg, travel costs and productivity), and safety (eg, traffic safety and personal safety) benefits.”

And concluded: “Based on evidence from 80 intervention studies, we have identified an expansive range of co-benefits that extend beyond physical activity, including safety, health, economic, environmental, transport quality, and social outcomes. The consistency of findings was high in favour of the interventions, particularly pertaining to environmental, economic, and transport quality outcomes. Findings from our study highlight the potential for promoting active travel as a promising strategy to jointly address major challenges in contemporary societies, such as traffic safety and road congestion, chronic diseases, fiscal constraints, air pollution, and carbon emissions. Active travel provides a unique opportunity to incorporate regular physical activity into daily life without requiring special skills or substantial monetary or time investments.” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00201-8/fulltext

Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book. View all posts by Judith Russenberger