France: transport and environment research organizations promote HEAT in France

The use of WHO/Europe’s health economic assessment tool (HEAT) is optional in France, but the national transport research agency CERTU and the national environment research body Cerema have both promoted it.

These organizations supported the French Healthy Cities Network to pilot HEAT in cities across France, and to produce a 4-page briefing and a step-by-step guide to using HEAT for French speakers. These documents set out clear information about approaches for applying HEAT to the French situation, including advice on which data to use and examples, such as a study from Nantes.

The Nantes metropolitan area aims to have 12% of all journeys taken by bicycle by 2030. The HEAT calculation shows that this would save 670 lives over the 10-year appraisal period at a value of €2.68 billion.