Healthcare systems are responsible for 4%-5% of the emissions of greenhouse gases worldwide. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol divides carbon emissions into three scopes: scope 1 or direct emissions secondary to energy use; scope 2 or indirect emissions secondary to purchased electricity; and scope 3 for the rest of indirect emissions.
Aim: To describe the environmental impact of health services.
Design: A systematic review was conducted in the Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. Studies that focused their analysis on a functional healthcare unit and which included. This review was conducted from August to October 2022.
Results: The initial electronic search yielded a total of 4368 records. After the screening process according to the inclusion criteria, 13 studies were included in this review. The reviewed studies found that between 15% and 50% of the total emissions corresponded to scopes 1 and 2 emissions, whereas scope 3 emissions ranged between 50% and 75% of the total emissions. Disposables, equipment (medical and non-medical) and pharmaceuticals represented the higher percentage of emissions in scope 3.
Conclusion: Most of the emissions corresponded to scope 3, which includes the indirect emission occurring as a consequence of the healthcare activity, as this scope includes a wider range of emission sources than the other scopes.
Implications for the profession and/or patient care: Interventions should be carried out by the healthcare organizations responsible of Greenhouse Gas emissions, and also every single individual that integrates them should make changes. The use of evidence-based approaches to identify carbon hotspots and implement the most effective interventions in the healthcare setting could lead to a significant reduction of carbon emissions.
Impact: This literature review highlights the impact that healthcare systems have on climate change and the importance of adopting and carrying out interventions to prevent its fast development.
Reporting method: This review adhered to PRISMA guideline. PRISMA 2020 is a guideline designed for systematic reviews of studies that analyse the effects of heath interventions, and aim is to help authors improve the reporting of systematic review and meta-analyses.
Patient or public contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution.
Keywords: carbon footprint; environmental impact; greenhouse gases emissions; healthcare settings; life cycle assessment.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.