Are Physicians Obliged to Lead Environmental Sustainability Efforts in Health Care Organizations?

Abstract

Climate change threatens health, health care, and the industries and resources upon which these depend. The growing prevalence and severity of its health consequences and economic costs are alarming health professionals and organizations as their professional obligations, grounded in the core value of health, include protecting against these harms. One means of fulfilling these obligations is to lead or support sustainability initiatives that are built upon current, reliable, accurate, and unbiased evidence and collaboratively tailored to meet specific needs and respond to specific contexts. We consider why and how health professionals and organizations should lead or support such initiatives. CaseAt an international conference on the impact of climate change on human health, Dr. Patel attends lectures given by physicians in a variety of specialties and by global public health experts. Over the course of the conference, Dr. Patel learns that the devastating effects of climate change on human health include infectious disease, flooding, drought, food insecurity, and extreme heat. One thing Dr. Patel hears over and over at the conference is the importance of physician leadership in responding to climate change. In particular, she learns that physicians can make a positive impact by leading sustainability initiatives at their organizations, especially hospitals, which are major commercial consumers of energy in the United States. In 2003, large hospitals (i.e., more than 200,000 square feet) made up less than 1 percent of all commercial buildings but used One conference speaker, who works at a large health care network, explains that recently she's been spearheading a sustainability initiative. "We've made a lot of changes," she continues, "including some updates to our infrastructure and equipment. Our energy expenditure and waste have already decreased significantly. Plus, the communities where we have hospitals and offices have really rallied around these efforts, with many of those communities' members expressing appreciation for our

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“…Certainly, there could be a line of thought asking whether physicians should be involved with climate change. 94 However, the climate crisis is a health crisis in which physicians cannot sit complacently on the sideline but must rather bring our expertise to bear to continually reframe the climate conversation back to one of health. Climate concerns have become a partisan issue rather than one that is rooted in patient health and outcomes.…”

The Harm We Do: The Environmental Impact of Medicine

“…In addition to the moral case for environmentally sustainable healthcare, 14,15 such efforts can also improve our quality of care. The conversation around healthcare waste has focused on costs.…”

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“…The climate emergency is also a health emergency, and clinicians have a duty to act as individuals and as part of organisations. 2 Sustainability is written into the constitution of the National Health Service (NHS), 3 and the Climate Change Act of 2008 legislated for a reduction in NHS carbon emissions of 80% over 30 years. 4 More recently, the NHS has made the formal commitment to become carbon neutral by 2040.…”