Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of health issues, ranging from mild irritation of the throat to heart problems, and can even lead to premature death. One major source of this health hazard is healthcare. Globally, the healthcare industry accounts for about 4.5% of greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollutants, a large enough emissions profile to rival most countries. “If it was on a list of nations, it would be the fifth country in the world,” said Sonia Roschnik, international climate policy director for Health Care Without Harm.
In the U.S., healthcare accounts for an even great proportion of emissions. A recent analysis in Health Affairsshows that healthcare organizations and the medical supply chain are responsible for about 8.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. This figure rose by 6% between 2010 and 2018. The authors estimate that in 2018 alone, this pollution led to the loss of 388,000 disability-adjusted life-years, the cumulative number of years of life lost due to illness, disability or early death from the pollution…
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