Environmental Sustainability in Health Technology Assessment (online)

The climate and ecological crisis are the greatest threat to life on our planet. As a result of
human interaction with the world, it is likely we will reach the 1.5°C threshold proposed in the
Paris Agreement by 2027; dramatically increasing the risks of food and water shortages,
conflict, extreme weather, and other crises. United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change modelling suggests that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions need to be cut
43% by 2030 to avert irreversible environmental catastrophe.

The National Health Service (NHS) has reported that it is responsible for 5% of the UK
carbon footprint. In tackling the environmental issues that we are facing; the NHS has
committed to reach net zero by 2040 for controlled emissions and 2045 through the
purchasing of goods and services from appropriate partners and suppliers. The reduction
will also require the making of socially ethical decisions about the choice of healthcare that
will be provided, whether this is pharmaceuticals, devices, or changes to whole care
pathways. Environmental sustainability is likely to become a key part of healthcare decision
making, including in health technology assessment (HTA), to support the NHS in reducing its
environmental footprint. Methods for assessing environmental impact of health technology
is an emerging area of research, data acquisition and reporting. However, aside from
quantifying the environmental impact of healthcare, the real challenge that presents itself to
decision makers is how health outcomes (for example, quality-adjusted life years) and
environmental outcomes (for example, CO 2 e emissions) should be compared and ‘traded off’.
Where do we “draw the line” within HTA, and at the same time accelerate efforts in
developing sustainable healthcare?

This webinar provides an overview of current methods to quantify the environmental impact
of healthcare interventions and discusses various approaches towards incorporating
environmental sustainability into HTA decisions.

More information.