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Improving the environmental sustainability of paediatric care
  1. Rosie Spooner1,2,
  2. Alessandra Glover Williams3,
  3. Claire Roome4
  1. 1 Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Oxford, UK
  2. 2 Paediatrics, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheltenham, UK
  3. 3 Paediatrics and Neonates, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, UK
  4. 4 Paediatriacs, Wexham Park Hospital Children's Services, Slough, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Rosie Spooner, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK; rosanna.spooner{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Accelerated global warming is directly related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to achieve international and national set targets on reducing GHG emissions, paediatricians should aim to decrease GHG emissions associated with paediatric care, when this is not in conflict with patient outcomes. In this article, we review literature on practical ways to encourage environmentally sustainable paediatric care and identify areas where more evidence is required. Finally, we introduce readers to the principles of sustainable healthcare which may be used to help guide further efforts to reduce the environmental impact of paediatric care.

  • Child Health
  • Paediatrics
  • Health services research
  • Global Health
  • Health Care Economics and Organizations

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Footnotes

  • Twitter @spooner_rosie, @alessglover

  • Contributors RS conceived and drafted the manuscript. AGW and CR contributed to the discussion and shared relevant literature.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.