Decarbonising Health Systems Across OECD Countries

Health systems account for over 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions in OECD countries making them a significant contributor to the carbon footprint. As populations age and demand for healthcare rises the sector's environmental footprint is likely to grow without policies to address the issue. At the same time governments face increasing pressure to deliver care efficiently within tight health budgets. This report examines how OECD countries are addressing this challenge discussing policies that both deliver high-quality health services and improve health outcomes and reduce the carbon footprint. While awareness of the health sector's environmental impact is increasing targeted health system-specific policies are still at an early stage in many countries. The report highlights how policies that reduce waste and low-value care can both improve health systems' efficiency and population health outcomes while also lowering emissions. It further suggests that progress towards reducing health systems' environmental impact remains impaired by limited data on healthcare-related emissions and the sector's broader environmental effects.