If the world is to reach net zero, emissions measurement must become routine across all sectors, including health care.
Why measurement matters?
Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is central to credible decarbonization planning over the long term. It enables systems to understand where emissions come from, target high-impact interventions and track progress over time. Without robust GHG measurement, action risks being misdirected, unaccountable, ineffective or insufficient to meet national and global climate targets.
Measuring greenhouse gas emissions in Health System
The Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) Task Team launched the new guidance at the #COP30 Health Pavilion on 15 November 2025.
The guidance has 2 aims
- To define a common approach for health system emissions measurement that is aligned with international standards and best practice.
- To set out how health systems can develop the necessary internal capabilities to measure their emissions consistently and effectively over time.
Five-Stage Maturity Framework
To support implementation, the guidance introduces a five-stage maturity framework for assessing and developing these capabilities. The stages are applied across six key dimensions of emissions measurement: base-year emissions definition; footprint modelling; data collection and management; monitoring and reporting; technology requirements; and aspects of emissions data governance.
The framework is a practical tool to guide self-assessment and drive continuous improvement of emissions measurement capabilities. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it allows systems to identify the next appropriate meaningful step in developing GHG measurement.
This report was co-led by the Centre for Sustainable Medicine at the National University of Singapore (Singapore), Greener NHS, NHS England (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Environment, Climate Change and Health Department (Switzerland).
