An economic approach to promoting active mobility as win-win opportunity for sustainable physical activity promotion

Oral

Abstract Overview

Background: Promoting active mobility (e.g. cycling, walking) provides win-win opportunities but requires consideration of these often overlooked modes in transport policy and practice. Purpose: This presentation will introduce the well-tested, evidence-based practical Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for Walking and Cycling, and a recently added e-biking functionality.
Methods: The HEAT calculates: if x people walk or cycle a distance of y on most days, what is the economic value of impacts on premature mortality, taking into account effects of physical activity, air pollution and road fatalities, as well as effects on carbon emissions. It is developed through an open-ended, evidence- and multidisciplinary-based approach, led by the WHO and an interdisciplinary coordinating team. Each development step is done through consensus meetings with ad-hoc invited international experts from various fields. Since 2023, an e-biking functionality is included, taking into account intensity, travel parameters such as speed or default distance, age and crash risk as well as carbon effects and exposure of e-bikers to air pollution.
Results: HEAT has been named the “most-used tool for health-impact assessment in transport”, with scientific, policy and practice-related applications across the world. Selected global case studies will be presented to illustrate different use-cases.
Conclusions:
Since its launch in 2009, the HEAT provides a win-win opportunity for sustainable physical activity promotion, particularly by allowing to also assess carbon-related emission reductions of different transport options on a population level.
Practical implications: The HEAT fosters advocating for transport-solutions that prioritize active transport by using an economic approach customarily used in transport planning.
Funding: The HEAT has been supported by a range of donors, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and WHO Headquarters as well as European Union research projects. A full list of donors can be found on www.heatwalkingcycling.org.

Additional Authors

Name: Thomas Götschi
Affiliation: University of Oregon, School of Planning, Public Policy and Management
Presenting Author: no
Name: Francesca Racioppi
Affiliation: WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Centre for Environment and Health
Presenting Author: no

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Information

Study Type: Economic evaluation
Subtheme: Systems / cross-sector partnerships
Population Group: Adults
Setting: Transport

Submitting Author

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Sonja Kahlmeier
Lead Research Area Physical Activity
Swiss Distance University of Applied Science FFHS
Switzerland

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