Low carbon, moderate income and long life

A new study shows that countries with high incomes and high carbon emissions do not achieve higher life expectancies than those with moderate incomes and lower carbon emissions. This finding challenges the assumption that human wellbeing requires growth in both economic activity and carbon emissions. The research, led by the University of Leeds and published , highlights alternative development pathways that prioritise human well-being and climate protection over imperatives for economic growth. Researchers from British, American, Austrian and Norwegian universities investigated links between carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuels, economic wealth, and life expectancy. Ideally, from a sustainable development perspective, countries would achieve both high incomes and high life expectancies at low levels of carbon emissions. Historically, however, high incomes and high life expectancies have been dependent on increasing emission levels. The apparent conflict between socio-economic development and reducing carbon emissions is at the core of international disagreements over addressing climate change.