Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change directly affect patients with cancer and their treatment—whether through greater exposure to carcinogens, delay of care due to climate events, or the cost of waste. The U.S. health sector accounts for 25% of global health sector emissions — the highest amount attributable to an individual country’s health sector.1 In an effort to improve environmental sustainability in surgical oncology, SSO has established a task force whose mission is to inspire and equip surgical oncologists to advance environmental sustainability in their work and daily lives.
Vision
A future where health care providers are an effective force for combatting climate change for our patients and our planet.
Values
- Reduce waste in our personal lives and in our workplace.
- Be creative and collaborative problem solvers, building on the work of others.
- Advocate and educate to promote sustainable practices.
- View climate change activism as an urgent moral and ethical imperative.
SSO Efforts
- Action Plan
- Sustainability Nuggets
- Annual Meeting
- Greening the Meeting
- References
Contact Us
If you have ideas to share with the task force or any questions, please contact us at pamhayden@surgonc.org.
(1) Dzau VJ, Levine R, Barrett G, Witty A. Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector – A Call to Action. N Engl J Med. 2021 Dec 2;385(23):2117-2119. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2115675.