The Carbon Footprint of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: It is Time for Sustainable Endoscopy

28 kg of carbon dioxide per endoscopic procedure. Time to make green endoscopy a professional priority

“…One of the striking findings is that patient and staff transport accounted for 45 % of the carbon footprint [9], above previously reported healthcare data. This percentage would likely be lower if the study were conducted in a better-connected hospital.…”

“…In this issue of Endoscopy, Lacroute et al [9] present the results of a retrospective study conducted in 2021 in an ambulatory GI endoscopy center. A total of 8524 procedures were performed.…”

Asia‐Pacific survey on green endoscopy

“…17,18 Apart from this, elective endoscopic procedures should be performed on an outpatient basis, as inpatient procedures were shown to incur higher carbon emissions. 19 Because human travel accounts for 45% of GHG emissions of ambulatory endoscopy, 8 simple measures like combining upper and lower endoscopy on the same day may also result in a remarkable carbon reduction. Intuitively, though the use of non-invasive diagnostic modalities (e.g., fecal calprotectin and urea breath test) instead of endoscopy may reduce carbon footprint, only 60% of our participants agreed on that and their environmental benefit should not be assumed due to a lack of comparative evidence on their carbon footprint.…”

“…Another study estimated a carbon footprint of 28.4 kg CO 2 e for each endoscopy procedure, with the source of emission in descending order being human travel, equipment, energy consumption, consumables, and waste disposal. 8 This juxtaposition of healthcare delivery and environmental impact presents a crucial challenge that must be addressed. Without intervention, the ecological footprint of endoscopy services could become unsustainable in the near future.…”

Asian Pacific perspectives on the practice of green endoscopy

“…Within the GHG emission class of medical and non-medical equipment, endoscopy specific materials accounted for 98% of emissions. 6 There is now increased awareness of how healthcare can aggravate climate change, and acceptance of the need for the healthcare sector to take steps to reduce its environmental footprint. The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) have published their strategy for climate change and sustainability.…”