Carbon footprint modelling of national health systems: opportunities, challenges and recommendations

This study looks at countries who have calculated their national health systems carbon footprint: UK, America, Australia, China, Japan and highlights opportunities for improved data availability and methodology for mobilising all countries in estimating their national health systems carbon footprint.

Abstract
‘An awareness of a health systems carbon footprint provides a quantification of its environmental impact, an understanding of carbon intensive areas to target with reduction measures and a means of mapping trends in emissions over time. Attempts at calculating the carbon footprint of national health systems are few, predominantly of developed nations, and are limited by data availability and methodological inadequacies. There is a need to mobilise countries to understand the role of health care in contributing towards climate change and for them to start engaging in ongoing calculations of their national health system carbon footprints’.

Booth, A. Carbon footprint modelling of national health systems: Opportunities, challenges and recommendations. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2022; 1- 9.