Sustainable nursing practice: the environmental impact of healthcare

Introduction

Climate change has been identified as the greatest threat to human health this century (Watts et al, 2019). Extreme weather events such as flooding, wildfires and heatwaves are increasing, contributing to higher levels of air pollution, water contamination and poor sanitation globally. The impact of these events on health is often felt by more vulnerable communities and individuals, such as older people and infants in lower and middle-income countries, with an exacerbation of chronic respiratory and cardiac disease, as well as water-borne infectious diseases (Watts et al, 2019).

In the UK, increased mortality because of air pollution and poor living conditions prompted the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2024) to release a position statement on its commitment to environmentally sustainable practice. Travel conducted by the NHS is a major contributor to air pollution, which is leading to an increased incidence of the UK’s biggest causes of morbidity, including stroke, cancer,