I am a doctor, why should I care about the environment?
We all know the phrase ‘First, do no harm.’
I would like to make the case that considering the environmental aspects of patient care is needed to abide by this bioethical principle.
Every action we do has a flow on effect on the environment. In CO2 and other waste (eg microplastics).
People often underappreciate the effects of global warming and associated climate change on population health.
For example, heat related death is expected to increase over 400% in Sydney in the case of 3 degrees of global warming (vs almost 200% in 2 degrees of warming).
(Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment Sept 2025)
While less sustainable practices won’t necessarily impact the patient in front of you, it will have a knock on effect on the environment and thus population health.
Climate change and environmental destruction is like death by a thousand cuts and we need to do everything in our power to reduce the number of cuts, no matter how small.
So having said that, without compromising on direct safety, there are countless opportunities to reduce our environmental impact in the hospital and our individual practices.
The next question on everyone’s mind is: Where do I start?