Decarbonising the healthcare sector: what challenges for public policies?

A projet led by LIEPP's Environmental policies and Health policies research groups

Project holders: 

• Matthias Brunn (LIEPP)
• Anneliese Depoux (UPCité, CVV et CPT)
• Charlotte Halpern (Sciences Po, CEE and LIEPP) 
• Laurie Marrauld (EHESP)

Project Description: 

Decarbonising the healthcare sector is a major challenge for the coming decade. The United Kingdom, which is leading the way with the adoption of the "Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service" strategy in 2020, estimates that this sector of activity is responsible for around 4% of national CO2 emissions, 40% of which are attributable to the public sector (Van de Hove, & Leng, 2019). Through its direct and indirect emissions, it makes a significant contribution to climate change. The WHO has since launched its own appeal to include global health programmes in the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and more than 50 countries taking part in COP 26 in Glasgow committed to working towards a net-zero global health system (WHO), as well as adopting national roadmaps. In addition to these initiatives, a myriad of proposals have been put forward by expert bodies and think tanks, such as the Swiss Academies of Science and the Shift project, as well as by hospitals. A number of players have also stressed the importance of including primary care systems in the debate, and a small group of towns and cities are working to integrate this sectoral policy into a territorialised approach to reducing carbon emissions that takes account of wider social and economic impacts.

Read the report for the event "Décarboner le système de santé : quels enjeux pour les politiques publiques ?". 03/05/2023 [fr]