Healthcare is responsible for approximately five percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,1 which is why over 90 governments around the world have committed to building climate resilient and sustainable healthcare systems as part of the WHO Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH).2
What is perhaps less well known is that around 40% of healthcare sector emissions come from patient care pathways – from visits to the doctor, ambulance services, and hospital treatment.3 Improving patient outcomes represents a significant opportunity to decarbonise through reducing the need for healthcare visits and the environmental footprint that comes with them.2
There is increasing data supporting this view at therapy-area level. For example:
- Studies show that patients with poorly-controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) saw on average a 50% increase in the GHG emissions of their care for each year of follow-up compared to those with well-controlled disease.4
- A patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis has on average 4-8 times higher emissions from care than a patient who is in CKD stage one to four.5
CARESA, now available for beta testing
In collaboration with Maverex, AstraZeneca has developed a first-of-its-kind modelling tool to quantify the environmental impact of patient care pathways, called the CARe pathways Environmental Sustainability Assessment tool, or CARESA.
CARESA combines multiple data sources to calculate the environmental impact of care pathways, measured as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), waste, and water. The tool allows users to structure care pathways using healthcare visits and resource data from patient populations and calculates the associated footprint. CARESA’s unique, custom-built structure enables use across all disease areas and geographies.
Alongside AstraZeneca, members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force, including the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition (SHC), are helping to beta test CARESA, to ensure that it can be used in a broad array of organisations.
Improving patient outcomes is a crucial part of the journey healthcare systems are on to reach net zero. CARESA gives these systems an important tool to understand how environmental footprints are impacted by better health outcomes.
Optimising patient outcomes leads to reduced burden on healthcare and the environment
Since healthcare interventions, such as disease prevention, early diagnosis, and implementation of Guideline Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT), can improve outcomes,2 CARESA provides an assessment of the environmental impact of a care pathway with and without an intervention. This equips policymakers with the evidence to support pathway redesign that ensures the best outcomes for patients and achieves reductions in GHG emissions, water use and waste.
Partnering across healthcare systems to drive action at scale
Collaboration across our sector and beyond is critical to transform the delivery of healthcare to become more resilient, equitable and net zero.
We invite health system stakeholders to help beta test CARESA to provide feedback on the tool and user experience, while gaining data to understand the environmental footprint of their own local healthcare activities and pathways.
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References:
1. Romanello, M et al. The report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels. Published online October 25, 2022, Available at: http://www.thelancet.com/ journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01540-9/fulltext [Accessed: April 2025].
2. Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH). [Online]. Available at: http://www.atachcommunity.com/atach-community/countries-and-areas/. [Accessed April 2025].
3. Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force. Decarbonising patient care pathways. How choices in patient care can drive reductions in carbon emissions. [Online]. Available at: http://a.storyblok.com/f/109506/x/88fe7ea368/smi-hstf-pcp-whitepaper.pdf. [Accessed April 2025].
4. Bell, J et al. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with COPD care in the UK: Results from SHERLOCK CARBON. European Respiratory Journal 2021 58(suppl 65): PA3551; DOI: http://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.
5. Zoccali, C et al. The environmental impact of chronic kidney disease internationally: results of a life cycle assessment (abstract). Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 2023 38(suppl 1): #2695; DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfad063c_2695.
Veeva ID: Z4-73916
Date of preparation: May 2025