High value health care is low carbon health care.

Abstract

We are in a health emergency precipitated by climate change.1 As well as physical health threats, climate change and its effects are adversely affecting Australians' mental health,2 and worsening the health inequities suffered by vulnerable populations. In response, the Australian health care community must both adapt to increased demand and to deteriorating environmental conditions, and mitigate the carbon footprint of health care, currently 7% of our national carbon emissions.3 Using economic data from 360 sectors, Malik and colleagues3 estimated carbon emissions by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare categories of health care expenditure, finding that the hospital and pharmaceutical sectors had the largest footprints, together accounting for 63% of health care emissions.