Earth Day 2021: Calculate your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions
On Earth Day, leaders from around the world gather virtually to address climate change and project forward to net zero carbon within 30 years. Each shares their country’s own nationally determined contributions (NDC).
NDCs are national climate plans agreed as part of the Paris Agreement. They include climate related targets, policies and measures governments aims to implement in response to climate change and as a contribution to global climate action.
In your anaesthetic department, will you look at your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from nitrous oxide and volatile anaesthetic agents and define your trajectory to net zero carbon in 2050?
The task is not as difficult as it seems. From the College website, you can download the Annual Anaesthetic Departmental calculator. It uses the latest figures for the global warming potential (GWP100) of our anaesthetic vapours.
To calculate your score:
- Request from your pharmacy the use of your halogenated agents and from your medical gas supplier, the nitrous oxide and Entonox ® cylinder return data.
- Enter the values in the calculator
- The result is expressed in tonnes CO2 equivalents.
2020 was an unusual year so perhaps begin with 2019-2020, as your starting point. Consider your own ‘carbon hot spots’.
Once you have you score, consider what mitigation efforts you and your department can put in place.
Remeasure in a year’s time and compare with the trajectory. Nations and governments are doing just this, and anaesthesia can too.
Dr Tom Pierce, RCoA Environmental Advisor to the President