The health care sector is responsible for 8.5% of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, marking it as a notable source of environmental concern. A recent study from Brown researchers emphasizes its role in both contributing to climate change and mitigating its impacts. The study, published in Current Environmental Health Reports, examines the health care policies and practices of dozens of countries aimed at curbing emissions within health care, as well as the systems needed for their implementation. It frames the climate crisis as a catalyst for health care to evolve and innovate in order to prepare for future disruptions and build sustainable and climate-resilient systems.
The study, co-authored by Emily Hough, senior fellow in health services, policy and practice at Brown, and Arielle Cohen Tanugi-Carresse, a Ph.D. candidate in economics at the Université Paris-Est Créteil and senior research affiliate at Brown, underscores the challenge of decarbonizing the health care sector’s supply chain, which is the greatest source of its emissions, representing 82% of the sector’s total greenhouse gas output.
In their paper, “Supporting Decarbonization of Health Systems—A Review of International Policy and Practice on Health Care and Climate Change,” Hough and Tanugi-Carresse examine the commitments of 73 countries to curb emissions within health care and the policies and delivery systems needed for their implementation.
“Health care is often the first line of defense when it comes to addressing the impacts of major climate events, such as floods, fires and drought,” Hough said. “However, we also have to recognise that it is a major contributor to climate change through its emissions, which are particularly high in high income countries. Our work aimed to explore which countries recognise this challenge and have made commitments or are taking action to reduce emissions.”
The paper describes international initiatives like the COP26 Health Program, now rebranded as the Alliance for Transformation Action on Climate and Health, which was launched in 2021 to encourage countries to develop low-carbon, climate-resilient health systems. By September 2022, 60 nations had pledged their support to the program; 21 countries went further to set a net-zero commitment.
Several countries, including Norway, Columbia and Australia, have started evaluating their emissions and are strategizing on reduction measures. In the U.S., the Biden administration has called upon health organizations to endorse the Health Sector Climate Pledge, while the Netherlands has refreshed its Green Deal on sustainable health care practices. The researchers identified 15 countries with national action plans for decarbonization.
