Newsletter March 2023: Sustainability Committee 2022 report

Patricio Gonzalez-Pizarro
Chair of ESAIC Sustainability Committee

Green means go!

Sustainability is a hot topic. It is everywhere these days, and while we may be getting saturated with the word, we must turn our attention to the concept, especially its environmental dimension. Climate change is a defining issue for our generation. The carbon footprint of clinical practice accounts for 4.7% of total European emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), and the EU ranks as the third largest contributor to the global healthcare industry’s footprint, with a share of 12% after the US (27%) and China (17%).

What is our share of responsibility in these numbers? Volatile anaesthetics are responsible for roughly 0.10% of global GHG emissions. The operating rooms are the most resource-intensive areas in hospital care due to higher energy demands, complex supply chains and waste management. This puts us in a position of particular responsibility to make our practice more sustainable. For this reason, the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) is committed to becoming a key promoter of sustainability in the healthcare sector. This is why the ESAIC Sustainability Committee was created a few years ago.

As the work of the Committee progressed, we realized that our knowledge of current sustainability practices across our countries and hospitals was patchy. Therefore, in 2021, we endeavoured to assess current sustainability practices by launching an International Survey (“The Carbon footprint of Anaesthesiologists”), disseminated worldwide but focusing on European countries. The data we gathered allows us to develop tailored education activities and train anaesthesiologists to fill our identified gaps. The survey also highlighted technological and educational gaps among member countries, which must also guide our efforts.

Euroanaesthesia 2023 will be a Green milestone

One of the expected highlights of Euroanaesthesia 2023 is the announcement of a Glasgow Declaration on Sustainability. Modelled on the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety, it will enshrine our commitment and trace a path to progress towards more sustainable practice in the years to come.

The name Glasgow comes from the Celtic “Cleschi”, meaning “Dear Green Place” – a fitting venue to give sustainability its first-ever dedicated booth in the Exhibition Hall of our annual congress. In our Dear Green Place, speakers, attendees and industry representatives will have the opportunity to interact privately to discuss the latest technologies and approaches to deliver care more sustainably. The Dear Green Place will also host the very first sustainability poster presentations. Euroanaesthesia 2023 will also, for the first time, make room for a sustainability theme at the National Societies Village around the theme “How to improve sustainability in anaesthesia and intensive care: situational awareness and national initiatives”. And there will be two dedicated Lightning Talks symposia on this subject and plenty of time to mingle and interact with the speakers.

Consensus Recommendations and Educational Solutions

In addition to the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainability, during 2023, we will issue our ESAIC Consensus Recommendations on Sustainability. These will provide you with concise guidance to reduce direct emissions produced during anaesthesia practice (scope 1); optimize energy consumption (scope 2); improve procurement and waste management (scope 3); and provide resources to enhance our working environment and self-care (scope 4). These recommendations will be endorsed by sustainability experts from various ESAIC member countries, ensuring that they reflect diverse perspectives and national circumstances.

Moreover, throughout 2023, we will collaborate with the Education Committee towards various educational activities, starting with an ESAIC Talks Podcast and a Sustainability Webinar as part of the Education Tuesdays series.

What it is to come

The world faces an environmental crisis in which we have a small but significant role. And our efforts to make our care more sustainable will only bear fruit if we engage our broader communities. Therefore I encourage you to speak up for sustainability and partner with your colleagues at your institutions and national and international societies. The challenge at hand is Herculean and may seem overwhelming, but together we can make extraordinary changes.

We look forward to meeting you at Euroanaesthesia23 in Glasgow!

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