ECO-CHICA is a one year project whose objectives are based on four lines of observations which entails reviewing the landscape of economic evaluation, to collate the economic evaluation available and specify how, why and when to be used, to explore ways of improving economic evaluation, and finally review existing economic theory and practice in relation to how we evaluate and value climate and health impacts and explore what are the challenges and viable innovations for achieving better climate and health outcomes.
A key part of the project involves engagement with a diverse set of stakeholders in terms of representing disciplines, geographies and economic sector. As such we encourage potential stakeholders to sign up using this .
Guidance on the ECOnomiC evaluation of the Health Impacts of Climate Action/inaction (ECO-CHICA)
Background and partners
As part of meeting the Paris Climate Agreement’s net-zero targets, there is increasing interest in both how environmental economics value health co-benefits of adaptation and mitigation strategies, and how health economics capture and evaluate the environmental impacts of health technologies and intervention in Health Technology Assessments.
The ECO-CHICA project aims to meet this need by bringing together environmental economics and health economics methods. It will involve a consortium of researchers in multiple Centres (GHECO and CCPH) across LSHTM, the (OHE) in London, and (CMCC) in Venice.
Objectives
We plan to use a mix of literature review, stakeholder engagement and a modified Delphi Process to develop the guidance. A schematic of the project plan is given below.
The three core objectives of the project are to:
- Review the research landscape of the economic evaluation involving the health impacts of climate action.
- Collate and synthesise the available methods for the economic evaluation of health impacts of climate action and specify when, why and how best to use them. Produce an accessible guidance for researchers and policymakers to support them to commission and/or interpret the evidence effectively.
- Explore ways to improve economic evaluation involving the health impacts of climate action, including comparability between methods and communication to policymakers. Produce an academic paper to advance best practice on economic evaluation involving the health impacts of climate action to provide clear research recommendations.
Project overview and timelines
Starting in October 2024, the project has an ambitious timeline of just one year to develop a set of accessible guidelines to bridge the divide between environmental economic evaluation involving health co-benefits and health economic evaluation involving environmental/sustainability concerns.
Get involved
A key part of the project involves engagement with stakeholders representing diverse disciplines, geographies and sectors. If you are interested in getting involved, please sign up using the stakeholders sign up form below.
The form is open to all, but may specifically be of interest to:  
- Researchers and research teams involved in evaluations of climate impacts on health, or undertaking Health Technology Assessments (HTA) with an interest in capturing the environmental consequences of interventions. This includes environmental and health economists, and researchers from other evaluative disciplines, whose expertise will play a key role informing the development of ECO-CHICA's guidance on economic evaluation of the health impacts of climate action.
- Policy makers and other evidence users including representatives from government entities, development partners and funders, interested in evidence on the health impacts of climate change and the health co-benefits of climate action, assessments of cost-effectiveness, and HTA-related outputs. Input from evidence users and decision makers will be vital to ensure that ECO-CHICA outputs are policy-relevant and fit-for-purpose.
The form below provides the opportunity for stakeholders to take part in the development of ECO-CHICA guidance and outputs, with the option to be actively involved (e.g. through workshops/Delphi panel) or to keep up to date with the latest developments from the project.
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