Completed Climate, Earth & Environment Public Health & Healthcare

Pathfinder 2: accelerating climate action for health

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

The Pathfinder Initiative is building a global coalition to turn climate science into real-world actions that also improve human health, using machine learning to map the best available evidence. This matters because climate mitigation policies—like shifting to clean energy or sustainable food systems—often have immediate health benefits, such as cleaner air and better diets. But decision-makers lack accessible, context-specific evidence on which actions deliver the biggest health gains, and how to monitor their impact. The first phase of Pathfinder identified the most promising sectors; this second phase tackles the gap between knowing and doing. If successful, the project will produce a living evidence map—a continuously updated, machine-readable resource that governments, health agencies, and NGOs can use to design and evaluate climate policies. A coalition of research and implementation partners will test these actions in real settings, while a global community of practice shares tools and knowledge. The ultimate change is not a single technology but a system: faster, more equitable climate action that measurably improves public health worldwide, guided by an expert panel including major multilateral organisations.

View original technical description
Pathfinder 2 aims to catalyse and support successful action on climate mitigation with a focus on measured co-benefits for health. The first phase of the Pathfinder Initiative synthesised evidence on actions with the largest potential co-benefits, including energy, transport and agriculture/ food sectors. The second phase of the project will focus on three key areas where progress is needed: evidence for action, monitoring and evaluating progress; and capacity strengthening. First, machine learning techniques will be used to bring together relevant evidence and make it accessible to actors using a living evidence map. Second, a Coalition of research, enabling and implementing partners will be set up to galvanise the implementation of informed actions and their evaluation. Third, a community of practice will be brought together for sharing of knowledge and tools. The key goals of the project are to identify and deliver context-specific evidence on health co- benefits, and to strengthen global capacity to implement and evaluate climate mitigation actions that will promote human health. Building on the successful Lancet Commission brought together for the first phase of Pathfinder, this work will be guided by a panel of experts from across disciplines and global regions, with major multilateral organisations represented.

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Researchers

Andrew Haines (EPMC Awardee)Bernard Onyango (EPMC Awardee)Elizabeth Kimani-Murage (EPMC Awardee)Jan Minx (EPMC Awardee)Jonathan Patz (EPMC Awardee)Max Callaghan (EPMC Awardee)Morgan Edwards (EPMC Awardee)Rosemary Green (EPMC Awardee)Sarah Whitmee (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Pathfinder Commission for Planetary Health and Prosperity
Catalysing Evidence-Based Climate Policy through Health-Centred Action
Policy and Implementation for Climate & Health Equity (PAICE)
New pathways for equitable climate action in line with the paris agreement and sustainable development
Climate Action To Advance HeaLthY Societies in Europe

Original classification

Discretionary Award

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.