Climate change is the greatest threat to global public health this century. Healthcare’s climate footprint has increased from 4.4% of net global emissions in 2014 to 5.2% in 2019[1]. As healthcare professionals, we can reduce the environmental impact of our work and advocate for environmentally sustainable changes to the wider healthcare system.

In 2022, the NHS became the first health system to embed net zero into legislation through the Health and Care Act 2022. The following policy documents highlight some of UK healthcare systems’ commitment in reducing their environmental impacts:

• *England - Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service, 2020[2];
• Wales - NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan, 2021[3];
• Scotland - NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-2026[4]

*Staff working in England should review their hospital’s Green Plans and contribute to their Trust’s strategic delivery of net zero aligned to local ICS commitments.

Understanding how Acute Medicine department can mitigate their environmental impacts while maintaining high quality standards of patient care within the current setting of financial and operational pressures is a challenge. SAM joins multiple other healthcare organisations in rising to this challenge to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities whilst recognising that environmental, social, and economic sustainability are vital for achieving our mission and creating a healthier future.

With this in mind, SAM has made the following recommendations following the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s 4 principles of low carbon healthcare service delivery

[1] Momentum builds for health-care climate action - The Lancet

[2] Greener NHS » Delivering a net zero NHS (england.nhs.uk)

[3] NHS Wales decarbonisation strategic delivery plan | GOV.WALES

[4] Supporting documents - NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)