Why Green Anaesthesia?
0
tonnes
CO2e each year from NHS England
0
kg
waste per theatre, every year
0
percent
waste that could be recycled
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our planet and to human health and development. Our actions as anaesthetists have the potential to impact on the environment.
Although our individual contribution to climate change is perhaps small in the grand scheme of things, we can all make informed choices about our practice and become Green Anaesthetists.
-
The NHS produces around 5% of Scotland’s carbon emissions.
-
Anaesthesia, primarily volatile anaesthesia, accounts for 5% of NHS emissions.
-
Manufacture and procurement of volatiles has a significant unrecognised environmental impact.
-
As well as being potent greenhouse gases, volatile anaesthetics contribute to destruction of the ozone layer.
-
1 MAC-hour of desflurane, even at low flows has the equivalent emissions of burning a 30 litre tank of petrol.