The CO₂ footprint of intensive care medicine-let's go green

Climate change and global warming are facts, and actually they are a hot topic for politics, economics, and societies. Global healthcare contributes approximately 5% of worldwide anthropogenic emissions, and this fact might produce an ethical dilemma between the Hippocratic principles of 'beneficence' (promotion of health) and of 'non-maleficence' (avoiding reinforcement of the climate crisis). Intensive care medicine has continuous high staff activity, resource use, and energy demands, and it is clear that intensive care medicine must become green to commence with practical measures to reduce their intensive care unit (ICU) carbon footprint. In this article several strategies are introduced, beginning with the creation of green teams on the ICUs from the bottom. Furthermore, systematic recycle programs, and the assessment and control of energy use are required to make ICUs more sustainable. Strategies for avoiding futile treatment combined with a choose wisely philosophy might contribute to such projects. Immediate engagement of all healthcare staff, particularly those who work in the ICU, is necessary to join the 'race to zero carbon emissions'.