The New Zealand Government has recently released a discussion document on “Creating a Sustainable Energy System.”1 This document is helpful in that it recognises both the approaching end of cheap oil and the threat posed by climate change (around which the scientific consensus is now very strong2). However as energy policies have links with public health, it is of concern that it fails to adequately consider the health benefits and costs of various energy policies.

In only two places does the document specifically mention energy-associated health issues: first that poorly insulated and inadequately heated homes are risk factors for poor health; and second that motor vehicle emissions contribute to the air pollution burden on health (although it does not bring a comprehensive approach to the air pollution burden as it ignores other emission sources such as thermal power stations). Although these two issues are important, there are many other ways in which a nation’s energy policies may affect its citizens’ health.

The health benefits that might arise from such energy policies as introducing carbon charges (scheduled for New Zealand in April 20073) include the following:

Finally, if New Zealand and other countries work together to reduce fossil fuel use globally, this will contribute to minimising the likely adverse health effects associated with greenhouse gas induced climate change. These include the expanded ranges of disease vectors such as mosquitoes;15,16 the adverse effects on food production (and hence nutrition); and extreme weather events such as floods, storms, and heat waves.

These potential health effects need to be considered in designing future energy policies. Given the health issues involved, health professionals should actively critique proposed government energy policies, and advocate for those policies that are both environmentally sustainable and pro-health.