Empowering health-care learners to take action towards embedding environmental sustainability into health-care systems

摘要

Health care is one of the most important sectors in addressing the growing health impacts of climate change, but it has also been identified as a significant contributor to the climate crisis, being responsible for 4·6% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. 1 The negative environmental effects of health care are growing, with greenhouse gases and particulate matter emissions from health-care systems increasing by 29% and 9%, respectively, between 2000 and 2015. 2 There is thus a tremendous impetus to reduce the environmental impact of health-care delivery and achieve net-zero health-care services. Intersectoral collaboration is required to realise the transformative changes required for health-care systems to align with the sustainable development goals. However, health- care learners are often not included in the planning and delivery of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in the health-care service. This is despite the fact that these trainees have considerable interest in driving a healthy societal response to the impending ecological crisis, 3 and will soon be caring for patients and communities whose health will be impacted by the ongoing and compounding effects of climate change.