Identifying High Carbon Footprint Medicines

Need for the project

1. The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan set sustainability commitments for the NHS, which are elaborated in the 'Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service' report.

2. The 2020 'Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service' report committed the NHS to reaching net zero carbon emissions across the emissions that it directly controls by 2040 (with an 80% reduction by 2032) and for its full scope, including its supply chain, by 2045 (with an 80% reduction by 2039). Medicines account for 25% of NHS carbon emissions, 5 percentage points being direct emissions, e.g. from inhalers and anaesthetic gases, and 20% being from other medicines, including those emissions embedded in the medicines supply chain.

5. There are broader impacts of the production and manufacture of medicines on the environment. The focus of this methodology must be carbon emissions (CO2e), but broader environmental impacts should also be considered to avoid unintended environmental consequences.

6. A number of factors must be taken into account when defining medicines related policy measures to reduce carbon emissions. It is critical that any change in policy results in no diminution in patient outcome (ideally an improvement in patient outcomes will be realised). Other factors such as financial impact or supply chain resilience must also be considered.

The objective of this project is therefore to understand the best approach to assess carbon emissions from specific medicines or groups of medicines (e.g. by class)