Environmental Sustainability in Intensive Care: From Awareness to Action.

Abstract

The effects of climate change, its threat to human health, and the mounting importance of environmental sustainability in health care are increasingly being recognized. Critical care medicine is uniquely challenged as one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions within the healthcare sector to try and reduce emissions while simultaneously harmonizing sustainability initiatives with best practice. This article provides clinicians the rationale behind the prioritization of sustainability science, explains both the contribution and effect of critical care, and informs strategies to implement and contribute to sustainable practices while simultaneously enhancing patient care and ecological responsibility.