2026 ESAIC Consensus Document on Mitigation Strategies in Intensive Care Medicine

Due to the continued use of fossil fuels and other chemical pollutants, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and environmental pollution continue to rise. The health sector is both a driver and a victim of these developments, and intensive care medicine (ICM), with its high energy demands, extensive use of disposable products, and large variety of pharmaceuticals, contributes substantially to the climate crisis and environmental degradation. The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) therefore aimed to develop consensus recommendations to reduce the environmental footprint of ICM across Europe.

This ESAIC consensus provides a practical framework for sustainable ICM. Stakeholders at all levels should now introduce these recommendations through institutional policies, procurement criteria, guidelines and quality improvement programmes to align intensive care practice with planetary health goals.