Primary care accounts for approximately ~23% of NHS England’s emissions footprint. Most primary care emissions are associated with prescribing, but emissions also come from non-clinical sources such as travel and energy use.

GPs may want to advocate for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Much of what we already think of as good practice, such as championing wellness through preventative measures and reducing over-prescribing, are clear examples of sustainable healthcare. 

The RCGP net zero hub contains eLearning modules written by GPs, as well as links to useful toolkits and organisations such as Greener Practice and the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare which have more detailed information on this subject.