The carbon footprint of social welfare and health care consists of several factors

Social welfare and health care emissions are mainly indirect

In 2019, the carbon footprint of social welfare and health care was approximately 4.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which accounted for approximately 6.5% of Finland’s carbon footprint. Approximately two thirds of this was produced in health care and one third in social welfare [1]. Carbon footprint measures the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the life cycle of a product, service or activity, and the carbon footprint of Finland refers to the consumption-based emissions of Finland.

Social welfare and health care produce both direct and indirect emissions. Direct emissions include emissions resulting from the use of fuels for buildings and vehicles and emissions from gases and inhalers used in health care. Direct emissions accounted for only 5.5 per cent of the carbon footprint of social welfare and health care. [1]

The remaining emissions are indirect, meaning that they are generated outside the location where the actual social welfare and health care service is produced. The majority of indirect emissions are generated in the production chains of goods and services procured in social welfare and health care activities. These accounted for approximately 78.5% of the total emissions from social welfare and health care. [1]

The remaining indirect emissions include the emissions from electricity, district heating and district cooling used in social welfare and health care buildings. These accounted for approximately 16% of the total emissions. This percentage has decreased significantly in recent years, as energy production in Finland has become more low-carbon, thus leading to a decrease in emissions. [1]

Procurements cause significant climate emissions in social welfare and health care

Procurements in social welfare and health care are the biggest cause of emissions in the sector. Although a large number of different products and services produce emissions, some product and service groups are emphasised as sources of emissions.

Approximately 25% of the carbon footprint in health care was generated in the production chains of medicines and their precursors in 2019. The next largest groups are the procurement of various expert services, food and catering services and transport services. Construction and property maintenance also generate a lot of emissions. The sources of emissions in social welfare are similar to those in health care, but medicines account for a very small share of emissions. [1]

Procurement emissions can be significantly reduced by prioritising products and services with a low carbon footprint. It is also possible to increase energy efficiency in buildings and use renewable energy in buildings. Using existing facilities in the most efficient manner possible also reduces energy consumption. [1]

Emissions can be decreased by reducing pharmaceutical waste

Reducing pharmaceutical waste can also decrease the carbon footprint, as a significant part of the climate impact of health care comes from the medicine production. Methods of reducing pharmaceutical waste include avoiding unnecessary prescriptions and optimising logistics and package sizes. [2]

The choice of medicine also has an impact on carbon footprint. A corresponding alternative product with smaller climate and environmental impacts is available for some medicines. [2]

Greenhouse gas emissions generated by food production can be significantly reduced

In 2019, food and catering services accounted for approximately 13% of the carbon footprint in social welfare and health care. The largest climate impact comes from the use of meat and other products of animal origin. [1] As a result, emissions from food and catering services can be significantly reduced by replacing products of animal origin with plant-based ones. Health benefits can also be achieved at the same time.

Avoiding or decreasing food waste is another way of reducing emissions. The amount of waste in institutional meals is typically 10-20%. [1] Reducing the amount of food wasted can also lead to economic savings.

For example, the Hospital District of Southwest Finland monitored food waste among patients for one week, and used the results as the basis for planning information-based steering to reduce food waste. This led to a 31% reduction in food waste during the year, which resulted in savings of approximately EUR 250,000 in catering services costs per year. [1]

Remote services cause less emissions than in-person appointments

Remote social welfare and health care appointments provide a significant opportunity for reducing emissions. Remote appointments can reduce the carbon footprint by up to 80% compared to ordinary in-person appointments. [3] The resulting emission reduction is mainly due to the decreased need for transport, as customers can avoid travelling to their appointments. [3] The amount of the emission reduction that can be achieved depends on the mode of transport used to travel to the appointment and how long the journeys are.

A remote appointment generates some emissions related to data transfer and the related electricity consumption that do not occur at in-person appointments. On the other hand, the emissions generated by maintaining premises and the mobility of staff are approximately twice as high for in-person appointments in comparison to remote appointments. [3]

The overall impacts that digitalisation of health care has on emissions are rather uncertain, and relatively little research has been done on this topic so far. [3] However, the carbon footprint of various devices used in health care can be reduced by means of ecodesign [4]. Ecodesign is a type of product design that takes the climate and environmental impacts of products into account throughout their life cycle. The Ecodesign Regulation is one of the ways in which the European Union promotes ecodesign. It sets climate and environmental requirements for different product groups. [5]

Reducing emissions can also produce economic savings and well-being

Services that promote health and prevent disease often also reduce the carbon footprint and save financial resources. In the long term, it is less expensive to prevent diseases and reduce the need for health care services that place a burden on the climate and the environment. [6]

Preventive services that promote health and the timely and appropriate treatment of diseases also reduce consumption of medicines. This enhances health while simultaneously reducing the climate impact and other environmental load caused by medicines. At its best, reducing the carbon footprint of social welfare and health care makes it possible to achieve other goals that promote well-being and save money. [1]

Checklist for social welfare and healthcare actors

The following questions can be used to identify key ways to reduce the carbon footprint of social welfare and healthcare.