Summary and purpose

This Toolkit is a suite of materials designed to help healthcare professionals working in respiratory medicine apply the principles of sustainability in both their services and the treatment of their patients.

Why is this toolkit needed?

The Climate crisis is accelerating, impacting ecosystems and human health. Respiratory health is directly affected by these changes:

• Heatwaves and wildfires increase exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Air pollution remains the leading environmental risk factor for respiratory disease
• Shifts in aeroallergens lengthen pollen seasons and intensify allergic disease.
• Infectious respiratory disease patterns are influenced by climate variability and climate-enforced migration, increasing pandemic risk.

Healthcare itself contributes substantially to the climate crisis. Globally, health systems account for an estimated 5% of greenhouse gas emissions². If it were a country, it would rank as the fifth largest emitter in the world. Within the NHS, respiratory care is a high-impact area: inhalers account for around 3% of the NHS carbon footprint, and the sector is a significant user of intensive acute care, single-use plastics and consumables.

Clinicians are ethically and operationally obliged to reduce environmental harm while maintaining or improving patient care. People living with respiratory disease are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and therefore need the respiratory professionals caring for them have relevant knowledge and skills to advocate for change and to act.