Climate change threatens human well-being and planetary health, necessitating sector-wide transitions. Recent research has highlighted the carbon footprint of hospital care by identifying hotspots and mitigation areas, but key factors influencing these outcomes remain underexplored. This study used causal mapping of textual data to systematically evaluate scientific reports on the carbon footprint of hospital services and care pathways. The sample was drawn from a State-of-the-science literature review, focusing on quantitative reports on hospital services’ carbon footprint. Text fragments discussing factors influencing the carbon footprint were recorded, and variables and relationships were identified and visually mapped through iterative open, axial, and selective coding.
L.H.J.A. Kouwenberg, D.S. Kringos, W.J.K. Hehenkamp, E.S. Cohen, N.H. Sperna Weiland,
The interplay of factors influencing the carbon footprint of hospital care—A causal mapping analysis of scientific reports, The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 23, 2025, 100427, ISSN 2667-2782, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2025.100427.