ALICANTE, Spain — Air pollution is responsible for 4 million deaths a year and, while advocates put pressure on fossil fuel companies and airlines for their role in polluting the sky, there is also a more unlikely culprit: Health facilities, which are responsible for 4.4% of global net emissions.
While health facilities in countries where there is a high level of provision are the biggest contributor to this, experts also pointed to issues in lower-resource settings.
In Africa, for example, many facilities lack reliable electricity and often rely on kerosene lanterns and diesel-fueled generators in order to provide life-saving care, according to Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician-gynecologist and executive director of We Care Solar. These produce carbon dioxide and black carbon, both of which can negatively impact health as well as the environment.