The carbon footprint of a Dutch academic hospital-using a hybrid assessment method to identify driving activities and departments
- PMID: 38841663
- PMCID: PMC11151853
- DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1380400
The carbon footprint of a Dutch academic hospital-using a hybrid assessment method to identify driving activities and departments
Abstract
Background: The healthcare sector is responsible for 7% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Netherlands. However, this is not well understood on an organizational level. This research aimed to assess the carbon footprint of the Erasmus University Medical Center to identify the driving activities and sources.
Methods: A hybrid approach was used, combining a life cycle impact assessment and expenditure-based method, to quantify the hospital's carbon footprint for 2021, according to scope 1 (direct emissions), 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy), and 3 (rest of indirect emissions) of the GHG Protocol. Results were disaggregated by categories of purchased goods and services, medicines, specific product groups, and hospital departments.
Results: The hospital emitted 209.5 kilotons of CO2-equivalent, with scope 3 (72.1%) as largest contributor, followed by scope 2 (23.1%) and scope 1 (4.8%). Scope 1 was primarily determined by stationary combustion and scope 2 by purchased electricity. Scope 3 was driven by purchased goods and services, of which medicines accounted for 41.6%. Other important categories were medical products, lab materials, prostheses and implants, and construction investment. Primary contributing departments were Pediatrics, Real Estate, Neurology, Hematology, and Information & Technology.
Conclusion: This is the first hybrid analysis of the environmental impact of an academic hospital across all its activities and departments. It became evident that the footprint is mainly determined by the upstream effects in external supply chains. This research underlines the importance of carbon footprinting on an organizational level, to guide future sustainability strategies.
Keywords: carbon footprint; expenditure-based method; healthcare sustainability; hospital; life cycle impact assessment.
Copyright © 2024 Lau, Burdorf, Hesseling, Wijk, Tauber and Hunfeld.
Conflict of interest statement
SH, LW and MT were employed by company Metabolic. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer CC declared a shared parent affiliation with the authors IL, AB, and NH to the handling editor at the time of review.
Figures
Similar articles
-
Carbon Footprint Analysis of an Outpatient Dermatology Practice at an Academic Medical Center.JAMA Dermatol. 2025 Feb 1;161(2):191-197. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.5669. JAMA Dermatol. 2025. PMID: 39774638
-
The carbon footprint of the Chinese health-care system: an environmentally extended input-output and structural path analysis study.Lancet Planet Health. 2019 Oct;3(10):e413-e419. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30192-5. Lancet Planet Health. 2019. PMID: 31625513
-
Assessing the carbon footprint of a Colombian University Campus using the UNE-ISO 14064-1 and WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Jan;30(2):3980-3996. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-22119-4. Epub 2022 Aug 13. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023. PMID: 35962170 Free PMC article.
-
Vital role of clinicians in reducing the NHS carbon footprint through smarter procurement decisions.BMJ Lead. 2024 Mar 18;8(1):43-48. doi: 10.1136/leader-2022-000722. BMJ Lead. 2024. PMID: 37541784 Review.
-
The carbon footprint of critical care: a systematic review.Intensive Care Med. 2024 May;50(5):731-745. doi: 10.1007/s00134-023-07307-1. Epub 2024 Feb 28. Intensive Care Med. 2024. PMID: 38416200
Cited by
-
Circular material flow of medication in the intensive care unit.Crit Care. 2025 May 20;29(1):205. doi: 10.1186/s13054-025-05434-3. Crit Care. 2025. PMID: 40394680 Free PMC article.
-
Carbon Footprint Analysis of an Outpatient Dermatology Practice at an Academic Medical Center.JAMA Dermatol. 2025 Feb 1;161(2):191-197. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.5669. JAMA Dermatol. 2025. PMID: 39774638
-
The green ICU: how to interpret green? A multiple perspective approach.Crit Care. 2025 Feb 19;29(1):80. doi: 10.1186/s13054-025-05316-8. Crit Care. 2025. PMID: 39972357 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- World Health Organization . Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems. Geneva: World Health Organization; (2023). Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240081888 (Accessed Apr 1, 2024).
-
- Karliner J, Slotterback S, Boyd R, Ashby B, Steele K. Health Care’s climate footprint: Health care without harm, ARUP; (2019). Available at: https://noharm-europe.org/content/global/health-care-climate-footprint-r... (Accessed Apr 1, 2024).
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous