The health sector responsible for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions

Disposable masks and gloves are the visible face of the healthcare sector's ecological footprint. Their use became commonplace with the coronavirus epidemic. They are also waste that unfortunately we find thrown away anyhow, so, in the end, in nature. However, much more than waste, we know less, health has a non-negligible impact on the environment and the climate. The health sector is responsible for 4.4% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent publication by The Lancet . Tony Capon, director of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and one of the authors of the article The environmental footprint of health care: a global assessment (the environmental footprint of the health system: a global assessment), specifies: "the threats to the environment generated by the health system are hidden throughout the supply chain ".

The environmental impact of the health sector 

This study published in July in the medical journal The Lancet offers a first assessment of the ecological footprint of health and care systems between 2000 and 2015. Just for greenhouse gases (GHG) in 2015, the sector of health globally emits 2.4 gigatonnes of CO2.

In OECD countries, health spending represents on average 9% of GDP. The authors note that the impact of the environment and pollution on health is well documented, but that, conversely, less attention is paid to the ecological impact of care.

From this study of 189 countries, it appears that the impact of the health sector generally represents between 1 and 5% of the pollution studied in most countries. The researchers focused on greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants (fine particles, nitrous oxide and sulfur), water pollution and even nitrogen emissions. The transport of patients, the supply of energy to the beats and the production of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals are at the origin of these impacts.

The scientists write that “ despite substantial progress in energy efficiency, in water consumption, in the use of materials, in the reduction of pollutant emissions and greenhouse gas emissions, all the environmental impacts studied health sector increased between 2000 and 2015. Thus, over this period, fine particle pollution increased by 9% and greenhouse gas emissions from health increased by a third (29%). This is explained by the doubling of health spending, which went from 8.5% of global GDP to 10  %. "

Tony Capon commented: “  The ecological footprint of health is both an ethical and a concrete problem. We know that in 2015, over 460,000 people died prematurely around the world from toxic pollution from burning coal. Honestly, why would a hospital buy electricity from coal when renewable energies are now available? " Globally, the WHO estimates that 4 deaths is related to an environmental cause.

Tony Capon advises health actors to “ monitor and track their ecological footprint over time on the train, since it has repercussions on the health plan and generates economic costs. They must also put in place plans to reduce their footprint, in particular by reducing the volume of waste from the health sector, which will also make it possible to save money  ”.

Julien leprovost

Source: GoodPlanetMag