BUSINESS SCHOOL RESEARCH SEMINAR:A perfect storm: The impact of climate change, austerity, and old age on excess mortality in England & Wales

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BUSINESS SCHOOL RESEARCH SEMINAR:A perfect storm: The impact of climate change, austerity, and old age on excess mortality in England & Wales
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This is a past event

The seminar will be held in Edward Wright Annex G04  and Online via MS Teams on Feburary 12th from 3pm - 4:15pm.

Join Prof Gerhard Kling, Chair in Finance at the University of Aberdeen Business School.

Abstract:

Prior studies compare deaths during summer and winter using a static and binary approach. Most studies focus on short periods, usually less than a decade, making it hard to observe the impact of climate change. Using data for England & Wales from 1930 to 2016, this paper decomposes monthly deaths into cycles by applying Discrete Wavelet Transforms. The short-term cycle (seasonal component), explained by climate-related variables and flu outbreaks, has weakened over time. Higher minimum temperatures during winter have contributed to a decline in seasonal mortality – but this 'climate dividend' has diminished as higher maximum temperatures during summer increase mortality. The long-term component is associated with health expenditure, public debt, GDP per capita, unemployment, inflation and the proportion of older adults. While the long-term component declined during our study period, a recent rebound coincided with the UK's austerity period. This study shows that sustainable, long-term investment in health and the economy can mitigate the impact of climate change on mortality.  

Speaker
Prof Gerhard Kling
Hosted by
University of Aberdeen Business School