Realising co-benefits of climate action

Authored by Jason Lowe and Sam Betts-Davies in June 2025.

Download or view the full report: Realising co-benefits of climate action

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Summary

Co-benefits of climate action are additional positive consequences that result from mitigation or adaptation measures. These might be a boost to prosperity, enhanced wellbeing or the protection of biodiversity. Whilst there are a growing number of instances of co-benefits being included in decision making on climate action, this is often not the case.

This report synthesises the academic literature on co-benefits and presents four case studies that explore different aspects of co-benefits of climate action. It sets out five recommendations to ensure that these co-benefits are realised more consistently and that negative trade-offs are minimised.

The recommendations set out in the report are:

• Co-benefits and trade-offs should be considered in all decisions on climate action. This applies on all scales, from local through national to international decision making.
• Public communication on climate action is broadened to routinely include co-benefit information that is tailored to resonate with the audience. This can include better messaging on how co-benefits can boost personal and family wellbeing and improve individuals’ financial security.
• Efforts should be made to encourage the private sector to include a greater focus on co-benefits and trade-offs when considering climate mitigation and adaptation. One route to encouraging this could be through updated regulation and reporting on climate action.
• The research community should step up to fill knowledge gaps around the magnitude of co-benefits, and how to maximise the benefits for all mitigation and adaptation measures.
• Policies that are not primarily aimed at climate mitigation or adaptation can also have an indirect effect on climate change and actions to deal with associated challenges. It would be useful to consider the impact of all new policies on climate goals.

About the authors

Jason Lowe is Priestley Chair in Interdisciplinary Climate Research and Head of Climate Services at the Met Office Hadley Centre.

Sam Betts-Davies is a Researcher at the Climate Evidence Unit.

To cite this report, please reference: Lowe, J. and Betts-Davies, S. (2025) Realising co-benefits of climate action. Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, Climate Evidence Unit, University of Leeds.