The BCS recognises climate change as an emergency with urgent implications for cardiovascular health and clinical practice. As a proud member of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC), the society is committed to supporting coordinated action across the health sector to address this critical issue.
Climate change is already exacerbating cardiovascular disease through increased exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, and the disruption of food and water systems, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. At the same time, cardiological practices – including energy-intensive technologies and the use of single-use materials – contribute to the healthcare sector’s environmental footprint.
The society is dedicated to reducing this impact while advocating for sustainable, equitable, and evidence-based solutions that protect both planetary and patient health. To do this, we have set up the BCS Environmental and Sustainability Committee.
BCS Environment and Sustainability Committee
In 2024, we set up a dedicated Committee, made up of clinical cardiologists, BCS Officers, resident doctors, and various BCS staff who bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to this area.
The Committee has agreed Terms of Reference and meets regularly to discuss and implement ways in which we can create a more sustainable working environment for both the BCS and the wider cardiovascular profession.
The Committee are looking at good practice from other organisations, including Action Plan from RealZero which has been specifically designed for health organisations. The plan includes several actions that can be undertaken to become more sustainable as a starting point and we’ve already started work on some of them.
Another example is a toolkit developed at Sheffield Dental Hospital which helps hospitals perform a sustainability audit. Members of the Committee have presented this toolkit, connecting its granular details to a cardiology department, at our Emerging Leaders Programme, to ensure that a sustainable approach to cardiology is embedded into the minds of the next generation of leaders in the field.
In the future, we’d like to produce our own toolkit, designed specifically for cardiovascular departments, and we’ve already had some insightful discussions on how this could work.
We are also looking into funding a dedicated Sustainability Fellow, who will help drive forward major sustainability projects over the next two years.
Making changes within Education
The education of clinicians is absolutely key to enabling us to implement changes that will deliver real benefit. As the voice of cardiology in the UK, we are committed to providing support to our members with educational sessions and resources which will show how this is relevant to all our practice and provide the tools to do this.
For example, in 2024, former BCS President, Professor Simon Ray, presented a 15-minute session on Sustainability in Cardiology at our annual A year in Cardiology course. We’re also looking at how we can make significant changes to our annual three-day Conference and in-person courses.
We’re committed to working with venues and contractors who are equally as responsible in this area and have considered their policies on sustainability when selecting them to work with. We’re pleased to be working in collaboration with suppliers who are committed to waste reduction, sourcing local and environmentally friendly products, reducing and reviewing energy usage, and reviewing their own carbon footprint.
In 2025, we are:
- Encouraging attendees to use public transport to attend courses where possible
- Providing water coolers to encourage the use of refillable bottles
- Recycling lanyards and badges post events
- Having all course materials available digitally
- Encouraging all exhibitors to use sustainable materials within their stands
- Encouraging a reduction in waste via digital marketing assets.
And for the Annual Conference specifically, we:
- Held two sessions on sustainability for delegates
- Delivered a talk in the ‘Hot Topic Zone’ in the Education Hall
- Had all conference materials available within the dedicated conference app.
Reviewing our own carbon footprint
Our Head Office, 9 Fitzroy Square in London, is currently being reviewed to understand what our own carbon footprint is. We’re working to understand things like how our staff commute into work and how the building is run so we can reduce our own impact. Once we understand our carbon footprint, we will be setting goals to reduce it.
We’ve already gathered some of this information and we’re looking to change to a renewable electricity supplier in the future.
We’ve also completed the Net Zero Accelerator programme with Heart of the City.
Useful resources
Below are a collection of external resources on sustainability in healthcare that you may find useful.
Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
The Sustainable Healthcare Coalition drives action on net-zero healthcare, bridging public and private sectors to deliver sustainable solutions that prioritise human health alongside environmental stewardship.
Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
CSH is an independent non-profit leading sustainable transformation in health systems. They offer strategic input to healthcare organisations through a variety of bespoke services and initiatives and provide education and guidance for healthcare professionals. They also undertake groundbreaking research projects that will improve the sustainability of the healthcare sector worldwide.
Sustainabilty in Clinical Practice
Here are some resources from external organisations who have plans, statements, toolkits, guidance and resources which detail their approach to sustainability.