The carbon footprint of a renal service in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Background: Anthropogenic climate change presents a major global health threat. However, the very provision of healthcare itself is associated with a significant environmental impact. Carbon footprinting techniques are increasingly used outside of the healthcare sector to assess greenhouse gas emissions and inform strategies to reduce them. Aim: This study represents the first assessment of the carbon footprint of an individual specialty service to include both direct and indirect emissions. Methods: This was a component analysis study. Activity data were collected for building energy use, travel and procurement. Established emissions factors were applied to reconcile this data to carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per year. Results: The Dorset Renal Service has a carbon footprint of 3006 tonnes CO2eq per annum, of which 381 tonnes CO2eq (13% of overall emissions) result from building energy use, 462 tonnes CO2eq from travel (15%) and 2163 tonnes CO2eq (72%) from procurement. The contributions of the major subsectors within procurement are: pharmaceuticals, 1043 tonnes CO2eq (35% of overall emissions); medical equipment, 753 tonnes CO2eq (25%). The emissions associated with healthcare episodes were estimated at 161 kg CO2eq per bed day for an inpatient admission and 22 kg CO2eq for an outpatient appointment. Conclusions: These results suggest that carbon-reduction strategies focusing upon supply chain emissions are likely to yield the greatest benefits. Sustainable waste management and strategies to reduce emissions associated with building energy use and travel will also be important. A transformation in the way that clinical care is delivered is required, such that lower carbon clinical pathways, treatments and technologies are embraced. The estimations of greenhouse gas emissions associated with outpatient appointments and inpatient stays calculated here may facilitate modelling of the emissions of alternative pathways of care. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved.