Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Carbon pricing of food in Australia: an analysis of the health, environmental and public finance impacts

Marco Springmann, Gary Sacks, Jaithri Ananthapavan, Peter Scarborough

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health · 2018

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Summary

This study used integrated economic, environmental and health modelling to estimate the impacts of introducing a carbon price ($23/tCO2-eq) into Australian food commodity prices. The analysis found that such a policy could simultaneously reduce diet-related disease burden (49,500 avoided DALYs), lower food-system emissions by 6% (2.3 MtCO2-eq), and generate substantial public revenue ($866 million), suggesting climate policies in the food system can align with public health objectives.

UK applicability

The findings are broadly relevant to UK climate and health policy discourse, though direct applicability requires adjustment for UK dietary patterns, food system emissions profiles, and elasticity estimates. The methodological framework may be transferable for modelling carbon pricing policies in the UK food system, though absolute outcomes would differ substantially.

Key measures

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) avoided; food-related greenhouse gas emissions (MtCO2-eq); tax revenue ($AUD million); consumption changes in response to price elasticity; disease burden across 11 disease states and 7 diet and weight-related risk factors

Outcomes reported

The study modelled the impact of a carbon price ($23 per tonne CO2-eq) applied to food commodities on dietary shifts, disease burden, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and public revenue generation in Australia. It quantified avoided disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), emissions reductions (MtCO2-eq), and tax revenues from the policy intervention.

Theme
Policy, governance & rights
Subject
Food & agricultural policy
Study type
Research
Study design
Policy modelling study with coupled economic, environmental and health impact assessment framework
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Australia
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1111/1753-6405.12830
Catalogue ID
BFmovbmp89-86sm1n

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