Establishing a Net-Zero Emissions Kidney Care Center: A Model Proposal for Taiwan

Abstract

Green nephrology has emerged as a crucial strategy to address the health care sector's role in the climate crisis, particularly due to the high carbon intensity of dialysis-related services. Aligned with global net-zero commitments, sustainable kidney care can reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of patient care. This viewpoint paper proposes a net-zero carbon emissions kidney care center model to address global climate change challenges and advance health care sustainability goals. Based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we developed a 4D framework: digital transformation, low-carbon health care, circular economy, and preventive medicine. The digital transformation dimension features a precision kidney health system integrating acute and chronic kidney injury digital care models. The low-carbon health care dimension focuses on increasing the rates of kidney transplantation and choosing optimal dialysis modality. The circular economy dimension involves dialysis wastewater recycling, repurposing of medical materials, and integration of renewable energy into facility operations. The preventive medicine dimension incorporates telehealth education, behavioral interventions, and health inequality improvements. This net-zero carbon emissions kidney care model represents an environmental, social, and governance approach to ensuring implementation and continual improvement. It also provides actionable steps for implementing sustainable kidney care and serves as a reference model for net-zero emissions health care systems.

Keywords: circular economy; digital transformation; disease prevention; green nephrology; net-zero carbon emissions; sustainable kidney care.