Towards a healthier, more equitable and environmentally sustainable Europe. Findings from the INHERIT project

Einleitung:

INHERIT (INter-sectoral Health and Environment Research for InnovaTion) is a transnational 4-years research project (2016 – 2019) funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme. Eighteen European partners are investigating effective inter-sectoral policies, interventions and innovations that enable and empower citizens to behave in ways that simultaneously improve the environment, promote health and contribute to reducing health inequalities – the INHERIT 'triple-win' (www.inherit.eu). The project covers the areas of living (green space, energy efficient housing), moving (active transport) and consuming (food).

Methode:

Based on the INHERIT conceptual Common Analytical Framework integrating the “Behavioural Change Wheel”, promising practices were identified across Europe, transferred and implemented to other contexts and evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that integrates qualitative and quantitative evaluation and a costs-benefits analysis. Fifteen case studies from 12 countries have been included into the analysis.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion:

How can we implement more cross-cutting initiatives in a variety of contexts and help Europe pave the path to a more sustainable and healthier future for all?

Findings from the (ongoing) evaluation will provide a clear understanding of the nature and extent of the impact and benefits of the case studies in the areas of triple win. Insights into the success factors and barriers of the pilot process, inter-sectoral cooperation and the possibilities for translation to other situations will be gained.

The outcomes will highlight future research directions and shape the development of a policy tool kit with recommendations to support lifestyles which are more environmentally sustainable, and promote health and health equity at various levels.