Circadian Environments

Science · Beyond the core

Sustainability

Healthy and sustainable usually point the same way.

Many of the changes that make a building healthier also make it use less energy. Where the two pull apart, the details matter.

Why it matters

Buildings use a large share of the world's energy, and the way they are heated, cooled, ventilated and furnished affects both the climate and the people inside. We treat sustainability as part of good environmental health advice, not as a separate service.

What the research shows

Insulation helps both. In a randomised trial, insulated homes were warmer and drier, used about 19 per cent less energy, and their occupants reported better health and fewer GP visits 1.

Green buildings tend to have better indoor environments. A review found early evidence of better indoor environmental quality in certified green buildings compared with conventional buildings, with benefits for occupants, although many studies relied on indirect or self-reported measures 2.

Energy savings have health benefits outside the building. Modelling of energy-efficient certified buildings in six countries estimated substantial health benefits from the resulting reductions in outdoor air pollution 3.

Moving off gas cooking. Gas stoves release methane and nitrogen oxides into the home 4, and are associated with a share of childhood asthma in Australia 5. Electric and induction cooking reduces indoor combustion products and can run on renewable electricity.

Where the two can conflict

An airtight, energy-efficient building needs a proper ventilation strategy or indoor pollutants build up. Recycled or low-carbon materials still need to be low-emission. Shading that saves cooling energy can cut daylight. We look for solutions that work on both counts.

How we assess it

Alongside health measurements, we review insulation, airtightness, ventilation, heating and cooling systems, cooking and hot water energy, and materials, and flag changes that deliver health and energy benefits together.

Evidence at a glance

  • Well supported

    Insulating homes improves both health and energy use. 1

  • Reasonable

    Certified green buildings offer better indoor environments. Consistent early evidence, with limitations. 2

General information only, not medical advice. How we grade evidence.

References

  1. Howden-Chapman P, Matheson A, Crane J, et al. Effect of insulating existing houses on health inequality: cluster randomised study in the community. BMJ. 2007;334(7591):460. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39070.573032.80 · PubMed 17324975
  2. Allen JG, MacNaughton P, Laurent JG, et al. Green buildings and health. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2015;2(3):250-8. doi.org/10.1007/s40572-015-0063-y · PubMed 26231502
  3. MacNaughton P, Cao X, Buonocore J, et al. Energy savings, emission reductions, and health co-benefits of the green building movement. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2018;28(4):307-318. doi.org/10.1038/s41370-017-0014-9 · PubMed 29382929
  4. Lebel ED, Finnegan CJ, Ouyang Z, Jackson RB. Methane and NOx emissions from natural gas stoves, cooktops, and ovens in residential homes. Environ Sci Technol. 2022;56(4):2529-2539. doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707 · PubMed 35081712
  5. Knibbs LD, Woldeyohannes S, Marks GB, Cowie CT. Damp housing, gas stoves, and the burden of childhood asthma in Australia. Med J Aust. 2018;208(7):299-302. doi.org/10.5694/mja17.00469 · PubMed 29642816