COP26: Fifty countries commit to climate resilient and low carbon health systems.

Fifty countries have committed to creating climate resilient, low carbon, sustainable health systems, including 14 countries that have set a target date of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Health services are currently a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 4.6% of the worldwide total. If they were one country, health systems would be the world’s fifth largest emitter. All four UK health services have committed to net zero carbon emissions in line with the government’s commitment for the whole of the country to be net zero by 2050. The NHS in England has committed to being net zero by 2045, Scotland has committed to being a net zero carbon emissions health service by 2045, and in …