The WM-Net Zero project is utilizing the Climate Life-course Assessment Toolkit (Climate-LAT) to measure the effectiveness of Net Zero policies in the West Midlands, focusing on real-world data from transport, housing, and energy initiatives. This toolkit offers a detailed approach to understanding how climate actions impact health, particularly by analyzing emissions, air quality, and behaviour changes in local communities.

Transport Decarbonization: The project is using vehicle telematics and emission data to evaluate the effectiveness of transport policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. By comparing traffic data from 2019 and 2023, we can assess the impact of interventions like the expansion of tram and cycle networks, as well as Low Traffic Neighborhoods. Surveys and consultations further enrich this data, reflecting public opinion and behaviour shifts.

Net-Zero Neighborhood Demonstrator: To evaluate retrofitting initiatives, a mobile super-laboratory and sensors will be deployed in selected neighbourhoods, measuring pollutants like CO2, PM2.5, NO2, and O3. This before-and-after data comparison aims to capture air quality changes and validate the effectiveness of home retrofitting.

Emission Inventories and Modeling: The Climate-LAT toolkit integrates emission inventories for greenhouse gases (GHGs) and pollutants to model scenarios at a high resolution. This allows for detailed maps of GHG emissions and air quality impacts, providing a comprehensive environmental picture across different policy scenarios.

Health and Economic Assessment: With region-specific data, Climate-LAT evaluates the health and economic impacts of Net Zero actions, such as changes in air quality, physical activity, noise levels, and access to green spaces. The toolkit will help calculate benefits in terms of reduced mortality and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), assessing how these climate measures can improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

This ongoing work enables WM-Net Zero to optimize Net Zero policies, ensuring they bring tangible health benefits to local communities and support economic sustainability. The Climate-LAT toolkit thus serves as a vital resource in guiding effective, health-conscious policy development for a sustainable future.