Carbon Footprinting for Healthcare

Though we know the NHS’s carbon footprint overall, the carbon impact of service changes, quality improvement projects or procurement of new products, is not routinely measured. In order for the NHS to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045, carbon needs to become an additional currency alongside money, understood by all working in the health system.

This course is designed to help healthcare professionals, quality improvement leads, managers and healthcare students gain an understanding of what a carbon footprint is, what a life cycle analysis is, how it is measured and how it can be used in the efforts to reach net zero. We will also explore existing carbon footprinting studies in healthcare and what can be learned from them. We recommend participation in one of our sustainable healthcare courses before joining Carbon Footprinting for Healthcare, however, it is not a requirement.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course you will be able to:

1. Recognise the interconnectedness of health, healthcare and climate change.
2. Understand what a carbon footprint is, why it is important to measure it, and how the two main carbon footprinting methodologies differ.
3. Identify the steps in estimating a carbon footprint of a quality improvement project or clinical pathway.
4. Find and use carbon conversion factors.
5. Recognise good practice in carbon footprinting studies in healthcare.
6. Practice carbon footprinting on a small/simple quality improvement project

Course structure 

This course is delivered in three parts:

1. Self-study online
2. Live workshop online
3. Work in Progress follow up session online