Overview

Health care is a top contributor to climate change, which is predicted to cause significant morbidity and mortality in the coming decades. Health care professionals are committed to the notion of “first, do no harm,” which extends to limiting any indirect negative consequences of their medical practice. Herein, we have outlined a number of behaviors and interventions that health care providers can implement to reduce their practice’s carbon footprint, many of which also provide a financial benefit in the form of reduced utilities and equipment costs. By employing these strategies—and, crucially, by sharing them with patients so that they may employ them as well—health care professionals can promote a more sustainable, healthier, and more accessible form of medical practice.