Surgical pathology and sustainable development: international landscape and prospects

Abstract

The healthcare sector significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, with surgical pathology (SP) playing a notable role. This review explores the ecological transformation of SP, offering a global overview of existing challenges and sustainable initiatives worldwide.While some countries, such as the UK and France, have developed national strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare, including SP, many regions remain at an early stage of implementing green practices. Several studies have assessed the carbon footprint of SP, focusing on key aspects such as laboratory operations, pathology procedures and functional units, highlighting materials and transportation as major contributors to emissions. The integration of digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) presents opportunities to enhance efficiency and address medical deserts but also poses challenges due to the associated energy consumption.Local initiatives such as the ‘Transformation Ecologique en Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques’ (Ecological transformation in SP) or TEAP collective in France, Belgium’s ‘Green Team’ and sustainable practices in Tunisia and New Zealand demonstrate the global effort to reduce the environmental impact of SP. Key strategies discussed include ecodesign of care, circular economy practices, green AI and partnerships with industry. However, achieving meaningful reductions in SP’s environmental impact requires international cooperation and support from national health policies. This review emphasises the importance of collaborative efforts to implement sustainable solutions without compromising the quality and safety of healthcare services.