The healthcare sector is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, and creates almost 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions. That number rises to as much as 10% in developed nations like the USA. That adds up to 2.6 billion metric tons of CO2. Electricity and heat production are partly to blame, but transportation, construction, and manufacturing are almost as damaging.
The very people we rely on for our health and compassion are causing harm, relegating the “first do no harm” mandate to the bottom of the ethics shelf. The healthcare industry is as much a part of the climate change emergency as any other sector. Yale Medical School professor, Jodi Sherman, says, “We can no longer make patient care and regulatory decisions in silos without considering the implications on public health.”
Where is the Damage Coming From?
The healthcare industry’s pollution comes from deadly environmental emissions, waste, and greenhouse gases. Estimates suggest that the USA, Australia, England, and Canada’s healthcare industries create 748 million metric tons of toxic emissions every year.
The pharmaceutical industry alone produces almost 49 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for every million dollars it earns. The industry produced 52 megatonnes of CO2e in 2015 alone.
Shockingly, this niche produces more pollution than the automotive industry. This is largely thanks to the work the automotive industry has put into reducing its carbon footprint.
If the healthcare sector is to reduce its emissions, it will need to look into product waste and spoilage. Waste, it turns out, has a higher greenhouse gas footprint than national averages. Some come from handling and storage, so every tiny area of production needs to be carefully accounted for.
Healthcare’s storage methods have a massive effect on waste creation, but Big Pharma isn’t the only niche to blame. Healthcare services emit huge amounts of CO2e emissions. Most of these are accounted for through:
- Goods and services procurement
- Energy usage
- Staff, visitor, and patient transportation
- Waste generation.
Roughly half of all healthcare emissions come from energy usage, so the supply chain needs to be thoroughly decarbonised. Fossil fuel combustion is almost as destructive, and sector growth is only adding to the crisis.
The Good News
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The healthcare climate crisis isn’t without its heroes. Medical centres and schools all over the world are committing to carbon neutrality. The University of California has dedicated itself to becoming fully reliant on clean energy by 2025. Harvard has made a similar promise. Health Care Without Harm is another important player that’s committed to finding better ways for healthcare to become ecologically sustainable.
Some institutions are finding new ways to run green laboratories, while others are more focused on the transition to renewable transportation. Solar arrays and natural gasses are two more popular go-to solutions that every hospital can get behind.
Green-friendly healthcare is not without its selfish benefits. Merely moving towards renewable energy can produce an impressive return on investment, cutting back long-term costs and thereby raising revenue. Green energy thus doesn’t only make good ecological sense. It makes good business sense as well.
The World Health Organisation Takes a Stand
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The World Health Organisation has included climate change in its COVID-19 manifesto. It refers to the pandemic as a reminder of mankind’s reliance on the planet. Coronavirus has cost the world thousands of lives and sent many nations into the worst recession since the Thirties. In response, the healthcare industry has, understandably, shifted its focus towards the disease itself.
As healthcare institutions have battled to save lives, they’ve neglected the planet. Climate change will, however, send the world into a crisis that will dwarf that of COVID. Governments all over the world have committed trillions of US dollars to improving economic activity, and the move could have dangerous effects on climate change. In short, there is no better time for medical businesses and governments to focus on the planet. A failure to do so could take decades to reverse.
Healthcare institutions must return to the goals of the Paris Agreement. Organisations like Healthcare Without Harm can help them to do so. The enterprise has created a plan that targets emissions in three areas: healthcare delivery and operation, international supply chains, and national economies.
Without economic strength, the industry cannot invest in the very solutions that can resolve the crisis. Few organisations can create an all-encompassing climate manifesto without financial investment. There are a few economical ways to join the fight, though. Eco-friendly energy sources reduce costs without much investment, so they’re an excellent first step. Adopting a more sustainable approach to regulations is another.
By anticipating new legal requirements and medical trends, healthcare businesses can engage stakeholders ahead of the curve. Policy change is just as accessible. Commitment precedes strategy, and strategy precedes change. Impact investment drives can fuel further changes.
Healthcare CO2 emissions are a major enemy in the climate change war, but they’re also an enemy of public health. They cause asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer. That’s before you factor in the fatalities of wildfires, heat waves, and floods. For that reason, the healthcare industry has a moral duty to reduce its carbon footprint.
Author Bio: This article was written by Conor O’Flynn of O’Flynn Medical. O’Flynn Medical are a leading supplier of medical equipment and wellness products to the Irish market.
Top Photo by Total Shape via Pexels.
