Mandatory Reporting of Emissions to Achieve Net-Zero Health Care
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2210022
Author: Hardeep Singh, M.D., M.P.H., Matthew Eckelman, Ph.D., Donald M. Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., and Jodi D. Sherman, M.D.
The most recent assessment by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that climate change is happening faster than expected and that the window to take action is quickly closing. Immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions are needed to limit warming to 1.5°C and avert the worst predicted harms. Morbidity and mortality from climate-related threats - such as food and water insecurity, changes in disease-vector ranges and seasonality, and heat, wildfire, and other weather-related events - are rising, and health care systems are at increasing risk for disruption. The health care sector is responsible for approximately 5% of global emissions and 8.5% of emissions at the national level in the United States. In 2018, greenhouse gases and toxic air emissions associated with the health care sector led to an estimated loss of 388,000 disability-adjusted life-years. In recognition of their shared responsibility to decarbonize, many health systems are increasing their commitments to achieve “net zero” that is, conditions in which released greenhouse-gas emissions are counterbalanced by means to remove them from the atmosphere. Despite these encouraging developments, voluntary pledges and initiatives will not be adequate to reach net-zero health care goals.Implementation of standardized metrics for reporting health care greenhouse gases is essential to quantify progress, identify best practices, and ensure accountability.