Sources and selection criteria
We searched Medline for articles, and the internet for publicly available reports of policy actions by healthcare services and institutions seeking to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. We also drew on our own expertise.
Every healthcare professional, manager, policymaker, politician, and patient has a role to play in securing net zero carbon emissions in healthcare, and front line clinicians can make a profound difference. This article offers an overview of the carbon footprint of healthcare, as a preview to the BMJ’s Actions for Sustainable Healthcare series, which will highlight practical actions clinicians can take to support reaching the net zero goal. Key terms used in this article are defined in box 1.