Aim for zero carbon emissions in the health sector

The Health Care Carbon Reduction Global Pathway Guide provides detailed data on health sector emissions from 68 countries and specific recommendations for governments, international agencies, and regional governments. to achieve our carbon reduction goals and create a more equitable and preeminent health.
Health Care Without Harm, in partnership with Arup, has released a Guide to the Health Care Without Harm Global Roadmap: a guide to achieving zero emissions. climate resilience and health equity enhancement at Skoll World Forum 2021.

For the first time the world has a guideline for the global health sector to reach zero emissions by 2050. This is an industry with no small climate impact, equal to 4.4% of global net emissions. Without climate action inside and outside the industry, emissions by the health sector would more than triple, to more than six gigatons per year by 2050, equivalent to annual emissions from 770 homes. coal thermal power plant.

If countries can meet the commitments in their Paris Agreement, this could cut the health sector’s projected increase in emissions by 70%, still a long way from its zero-emission target. This Roadmap Guideline identifies seven high-impact activities that could help the health sector cut emissions by 44 gigattons more over 36 years, the equivalent of keeping more than 2.7 billion barrels of oil underground each. year.

Medical waste (Artwork: chatthaiyte.vn)

The roadmap also outlines for the health sector in different countries separate carbon reduction orbits. Countries with large greenhouse gas emissions in the health sector need to reduce their emissions fastest and most. Meanwhile, low-income and middle-income countries with less responsibility can implement climate-smart solutions to develop their health infrastructure, following a less “slope” trajectory. “For zero emissions. The guidelines also have a proposal for Vietnam’s health sector, ranking 20th out of 68 countries in the net emissions report and responsible for 2.4% of total national emissions.

The new Global Roadmap Guidelines show that 84% of the sector’s climate emissions come from fossil fuels used in health-care operations, supply chains and the broader economy. . These include coal, oil and gas used to power hospitals, medical travel, manufacturing and transporting health care products.

“We are experiencing a climate emergency at the same time,” said Josh Karliner, International Strategy and Program for Harm-Free Health and co-author of the Roadmap. health, including increased respiratory illnesses caused by fossil fuel pollution and illnesses caused by severe climatic effects such as wildfires. Not only does the health sector bear the brunt of these two crises, but ironically also contributes to them through its own emissions. Health leaders are forced to take the lead as an example and act now to reach zero emissions by 2050. This roadmap helps to chart the path in that direction, ”

The Roadmap Guidelines provide detailed data on health sector emissions from 68 countries and specific recommendations for governments, international agencies, and the private sector to achieve their carbon reduction goals and creating a better and fairer health care system. Recommendations for governments include incorporating carbon reduction in the health sector into their own National Contribution (NDC) commitments under the Paris Agreement and developing robust interagency climate policies to ensure protects public health from the impacts of climate change, and supports carbon reduction and resilience in the healthcare sector.

There are already good examples of health systems in countries adopting zero emissions schemes. Britain’s National Health System has announced a 2040 zero net emissions goal. Most recently, Argentina included reductions in healthcare carbon emissions in its climate plans. Healthcare professionals are a key voice in asking governments to be more aggressive in climate action. In May last year, 40 million people working in the health sector signed a statement asking G20 leaders to focus on public health and green recovery when planning a post-pandemic economic recovery. Most recently, Lancet research has published that ambitious climate goals can save millions of lives each year ../.