Blog Post

2022 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement Awarded to Sir Andy Haines

SDSN • Feb 23, 2022

Sir Andy Haines, member of the SDSN Leadership Council and world expert on the links between climate change and human health, is being recognized for his contributions in understanding the effects of climate change on public health, his leadership in expanding the notion of public health to the notion of Planetary Health, and for his mentorship of the next generation of health scientists and practitioners in preventive environmental health actions in the 21st century.

The 2022 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement – often regarded as the ‘Nobel Prize for the Environment’ – has been awarded to the British physician, one of the first scientists to sound the alarm that changes to the natural environment have dangerous implications for human health.

Haines worked as a family doctor and researcher before realizing that the greatest thing he could do for human health was to reveal its critical connection to the health of our planet. He has since committed over three decades to understanding and working to prevent the impacts of environmental change, especially climate change, on human health.

Tyler Prize Executive Committee Chair Julia Marton-Lefèvre said that since identifying this crucial interlinkage in the early ‘90s, Haines has worked urgently to establish the evidence base for global climate action and policy change.

“As a leader in Planetary Health, Sir Andy’s findings have been a wake-up call for humanity. He has focused his life’s work on building international, multidisciplinary research and collaborations that form strategies and policies to protect global health – especially in vulnerable low-income countries – in our rapidly changing planet.”

Haines, who is Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said it is a “great honor and privilege” to be selected as the recipient of the 2022 Tyler Prize.

“I think it reflects the growing awareness that climate change isn’t just about damaging the environment – according to the World Health Organization, ‘climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity’. From the effects of extreme heat and wildfires to effects on infectious disease transmission, food supply, migration, poverty… climate change can affect health in so many ways.”

“Our future depends on taking urgent action, to adapt to the changes we are already experiencing, and to cut the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change,” Haines said.

Haines was among the first to research the health benefits of low-carbon actions – including cycling, walking, and using public transport instead of driving, as well as using clean, renewable energy and eating a more plant-based diet.

“Policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will not only benefit human health by reducing the risk of dangerous climate change in the longer term, but they also have positive near-term benefits, including reduced air pollution, increased physical activity, and improved nutrition,” Haines said.

Dr. Jonathan Patz, Director at the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and member of the Tyler Prize Executive Committee, said that Haines’ work highlighted the need to approach public health from a global perspective.

“It’s timely that in 2022, now into the third year of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Tyler Prize Committee chose to honor a ‘one planet’ leader in public health. We need urgent action on these interconnected issues – and Sir Andy’s interdisciplinary work is out front.”

Haines said the Covid-19 pandemic highlights the fragile relationship between society, the economy, and health.

“We live on a small planet – we are all connected whether we like it or not. We don’t have a lot of time to reduce the risks of climate change – inaction and pessimism are luxuries we can’t afford,” he said.

“We need to work together and cooperate globally to address the big challenges of our time.”

The Tyler Prize

Established in 1973 by the late John and Alice Tyler, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is one of the first international premier awards for environmental science, environmental health, and energy.

Recipients encompass the spectrum of environmental concerns, including environmental policy, health, air and water pollution, ecosystem disruption and loss of biodiversity, and energy resources.

Haines will receive a US$200,000 prize and join the ranks of previous Tyler Prize Laureates such as Michael E. Mann, E.O. Wilson, and Jane Goodall.

Haines will be honored at an award ceremony in April 2022.

Pathfinder Initiative co-chaired by Sir Andy Haines

The Pathfinder Initiative, led by researchers based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), aims to assess and synthesise lessons from the implementation of practical, evidence-based pathways to zero-carbon societies.

The initiative highlights knowledge gaps and identifies how to address challenges of implementation across diverse settings. This supports evidence-informed decision-making on real-world case studies and robust scientific evidence. With scientific oversight provided by The Lancet Pathfinder Commission , and working with partners including SDSN, the C40 cities network and the OECD, the Pathfinder Initiative aims to accelerate progress towards a healthy and prosperous future for all in a ‘post-carbon’ society.

You too can contribute

Pathfinder Initiative is looking for case studies (articles, reports, studies) of actions that mitigate greenhouse gases and also benefit health and wellbeing . Potential impacts on health can also include risk factors, such as changes in air pollution, diets or exposure to extreme temperatures. Both successes and failures, as well as published and unpublished examples are invited.

Examples can include assessment of actions taken by the public and private sectors, civil society and not-for-profit organisations. Actions can come from any sector, including energy, transport, agriculture and land use, oceans, industry, human settlements, health care, and education, and from nature-based solutions like conservation and restoration.

Evidence of cross-sectoral or systemwide actions, including actions at the nexus between mitigation and adaptation, are also welcomed.

You can submit your publication or other evidence by filling out an online form and providing further information on the Pathfinder website.

The case studies gathered by Pathfinder will be used to map the evidence for health benefits of carbon reduction actions, to indicate where the gaps are, and to provide frameworks for action to help policy makers and other actors to decide where best to focus their resources.

For more information visit  lshtm.ac.uk/pathfinder


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