The United European Gastroenterology green paper—climate change and gastroenterology
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Climate change, described by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021 as ‘the single biggest health threat facing humanity’, causes extreme weather, disrupts food supplies, and increases the prevalence of diseases, thereby affecting human health, medical practice, and healthcare stability. Greener Gastroenterology is an important movement that has the potential to make a real difference in reducing the impact of the delivery of healthcare, on the environment. The WHO defines an environmentally sustainable health system as one which would improve, maintain or restore health while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Gastroenterologists encounter the impacts of climate change in daily patient care. Alterations in the gut microbiome and dietary habits, air pollution, heat waves, and the distribution of infectious diseases result in changed disease patterns affecting gastrointestinal and hepatic health, with particularly severe impacts on vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, and the elderly. Additionally, women are disproportionally affected, since climate change can exacerbate gender inequalities. Paradoxically, while healthcare aims to improve health, the sector is responsible for 4.4% of global carbon emissions. Endoscopy is a significant waste producer in healthcare, being the third highest generator with 3.09 kg of waste per day per bed, contributing to the carbon footprint of the GI sector. Solutions to the climate crisis can offer significant health co-benefits. Steps to reduce our carbon footprint include fostering a Planetary Health Diet and implementing measures for greener healthcare, such as telemedicine, digitalization, education, and research on sustainable healthcare practices. Adhering to the principles of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ is crucial. Reducing unnecessary procedures, which constitute a significant portion of endoscopies, can significantly decrease the carbon footprint and enhance sustainability. This position paper by the United European Gastroenterology aims to raise awareness and outline key principles that the GI workforce can adopt to tackle the climate crisis together.
Date Issued
2024-11-01
Date Acceptance
2024-09-10
Citation
United European Gastroenterology Journal, 2024, 12 (9), pp.1292-1305
ISSN
2050-6406
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
1292
End Page
1305
Journal / Book Title
United European Gastroenterology Journal
Volume
12
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Author(s). United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39452615
Subjects
climate change
climate‐sensitive diseases
eco‐gastroenterologist
eco‐intensivist
eco‐surgeon
greener gastroenterology
sustainable healthcare
Humans
Climate Change
Gastroenterology
Carbon Footprint
Europe
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2024-10-25