Since climate change presents an unprecedented threat to public health, creating environmentally sustainable communi ties has become an important policy goal. Many local governments have voluntarily implemented sustainability practices to mitigate and adapt to climate change at community levels. Because of the potential benefits, scholars and practitioners are paying increasing attention to the sustainability practices of local government. This study provides evidence for their health benefits after analyzing data of more than 3000 older adults between 2012 and 2016. Our findings suggest that home weatherization assistance programs are associated with an increased likelihood that older adults will view life expectancy optimistically. Moreover, installing charging stations for electric vehicles is associated with increased physical activities. Our findings have important implications for local governments by linking climate change and community health issues.
Ji, H; Shin, SH
Health benefits of local government sustainability efforts: A social cognitive perspective
Ecological Economics