First do no harm. Why healthcare needs to change

Sep 16, 2019

The world’s healthcare systems account for 4% of global CO2 emissions. Image: Marcelo Leal/Unsplash

Robert Metzke

Global Head of Sustainability, Philips

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Sustainable Development Impact Summit

Health carbon footprint (HCF) as percentage of national carbon footprint (CF) grouped by region where the emissions occurred (a) and health carbon footprint per capita grouped by financing scheme (b) in 2014. Image: IOP Science

Shares of health carbon footprint (HCF) attributable to OECD health care expenditure categories in 2014 (all OECD countries with available 2014 data, but excluding non-OECD countries China and India). Full names of the expenditure categories are: retailers and other providers of medical goods, hospitals, providers of ambulatory health care, residential long-term care facilities, providers of health care system administration and financing, providers of ancillary services, 'other' is a combined category of 'rest of the economy' and 'rest of the world', and providers of preventive care.

Shares of health carbon footprint (HCF) attributable to OECD health care spending in 2014. Image: IOP Science

NHS carbon dioxide emissions are greater than the annual emissions from all aircraft departing from Heathrow Airport. Image: The King's Fund

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