Sustainable Health Care
“The world’s health sector facilities churn out CO2 through the use of significant resources and energy-hungry equipment. This is perhaps ironic, as medical professionals our commitment is to ‘first, do no harm.’ Places of healing should be leading the way, not contributing to the burden of disease.”
Health Care and Climate Change
Health care is a major contributor to the climate crisis
Health care had a climate footprint equivalent to 4.4% of global net emissions. In the U.S. health care contributes between 10% of the nation’s carbon emissions.
More than half of health care’s footprint comes from energy use
Including the consumption of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning combined with health sector operational emissions (health care supply chain).
Health care’s climate footprint generally reflects overall national emissions patterns
The world’s biggest climate polluters also host the world’s health sectors with the biggest climate footprints. The US health care sector is the world’s number one emitter in both absolute and per capita terms .
Decarbonizing health care’s supply chain is critical
71% of health care’s climate footprint is attributable to it's supply chain. It is highly likely that the vast majority of these emissions emanate from the production, packaging, transport, and disposal of goods and services that health care purchases.
Fossil fuel combustion is at the heart of health care’s climate footprint
Energy — primarily the combustion of fossil fuels — makes up well over half of health care’s climate footprint.
Health care spending is an important factor in emissions
Generally the higher the spending on health care (measured as percentage of a country’s GDP) the higher the per capita health care emissions are in that country. In 2019 the US spent $3.8 trillion on health care, accounting for 17.7% of the GDP (CMS.gov).
Certain Medications Contribute to Greenhouse Gases Emissions
Anesthesia Gases
Nitrous oxide and the fluorinated gases sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane — are potent greenhouse gases. The majority of these gases enter the atmosphere (1).
Metered-Dose Inhalers (MDIs)
MDIs are typically used for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory conditions. These are highly potent greenhouse gases, many times more powerful than CO2.
References
ARUP. Health Care's Climate Footprint: How the Health Sector Contributes to the Global Climate Crisis and Opportunities for Action. 2019. https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publications/research/section/healthcares-climate-footprint