Climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly impacting human health, with more frequent heatwaves, wildfires, extreme weather events, emerging infectious diseases, increased respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health conditions, and food and water insecurity. Current projections of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions suggest it will be harder to limit warming below the critical threshold of 2°C to avoid the worst predicted harms unless deep and immediate reductions in GHGs occur in all sectors of society. The healthcare sector contributes approximately 4.6% of total global GHGs and 4 million disability-adjusted life years lost from air pollution annually. Health care must do its part to mitigate environmental degradation and pollution and avoid excessive resource consumption.
Lessons from patient safety to accelerate healthcare decarbonization
, , . Lessons from patient safety to accelerate healthcare decarbonization. J Hosp Med. 2024; 1–6. doi:10.1002/jhm.13493