Sustainable Healthcare

Climate change is catastrophic for health

The climate crisis directly threatens healthcare systems and patient health. We are working with Our Health Our Planet and Zero Hour to combat climate inaction and advocate for a sustainable NHS that protects both people and the planet.

Why the NHS is part of the climate story

Healthcare in England contributes an estimated 4–5% of the country’s total carbon emissions — and around 40% of public-sector emissions. The NHS was the first health service in the world to commit to net zero: it has pledged to reach net zero by 2040 for the emissions it controls directly, and by 2045 for the wider emissions it can influence (supply chain, patient travel, commissioned services). Direct emissions are down 68% since 1990, and emissions from inhalers and anaesthetic gases — which still account for around a fifth of the NHS’s direct footprint — have fallen by a third since 2020. (Sources: NHS England, The Lancet Planetary Health.)

Progress is real, but uneven. Decarbonising clinical care without compromising patient safety, retrofitting an ageing estate, and shifting the medicines supply chain are major undertakings — and they are happening against the backdrop of a climate that is already harming patients today.

Health impacts of climate change

• Heat-related illnesses — rising temperatures increase heat stroke and cardiovascular events
• Air pollution — worsening air quality causes respiratory disease, with the WHO attributing around 7 million premature deaths a year globally to outdoor and household air pollution
• Food and water insecurity — climate disruption threatens nutrition, harvests, and clean water
• Communicable disease — changing climate patterns expand the range of vectors such as Aedes mosquitoes and ticks
• Mental health — climate anxiety, displacement, and post-disaster trauma are an escalating clinical burden

NEB Healthcare — the film on tour now

DAUK’s sustainability lead Dr Matthew Lee has organised a UK-wide tour of NEB Healthcare, a short film exploring how clinical practice intersects with the climate emergency. It is being screened at NHS trusts, health boards, and medical education forums through the summer — most dates are in Wales (Cardiff & Vale, BCUHB, Public Health Wales, Swansea Bay, ABUHB, Velindre, Digital Health & Care Wales, HEIW) with further screenings at Guy’s Hospital in London and the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

See the full screening schedule →

If you would like to host a screening at your trust, deanery, or training programme, get in touch via the DAUK contact page.

Our campaign goals

We support the Climate and Ecology Bill and advocate for policies to limit global warming to below 1.5°C, restore nature, and help communities adapt to climate change impacts. Within the NHS, we back the Greener NHS programme’s net-zero ambitions and push for faster action on the highest-impact areas — anaesthetic gases, metered-dose inhalers, single-use plastics, and the medicines supply chain.

Get involved

Doctors have a responsibility to advocate for a sustainable future. Visit Our Health Our Planet for resources and information, or attend one of the upcoming NEB Healthcare screenings.

Write to your MP, support the Climate and Ecology Bill, and sign up as a campaign supporter. Together, we can protect public health by fighting climate change.

Sustainability Lead: Dr Matthew Lee