Free online knowledge hub and tool launches today, making it easier to measure the environmental footprint of clinical trials
19th February 2025, UK
An analysis reveals the substantial carbon footprint of clinical trials, adding urgency to the push for sustainable research practices. The research, published in The Lancet and led by the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, analysed approximately 350,000 trials and estimated that clinical research alone produced 27.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions between 2020 and 2021.1
Recognising the urgent need to minimise the environmental impact of clinical trials, the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, together with the Industry Low-Carbon Clinical Trials (iLCCT) consortium and Environmental Resources Management (ERM), are excited to launch a free ground-breaking carbon calculator. This tool is designed to transform how organisations running clinical trials measure and minimise their environmental impact.
Dr Fiona Adshead, Chair of the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, says, “This is a milestone moment for sustainable healthcare. The official launch of the carbon calculator is both an opportunity to drive practical action to lower the carbon impact of clinical trials and an invitation to work together across the sector to develop on understanding on how best to do this.”
This new carbon calculator, accompanied by comprehensive guidance, methodology and other practical examples for implementation, provides a robust framework for those looking to reimagine what is possible. Providing the ability to measure carbon emissions associated with a clinical trial will transform practice through enabling sustainability to become built into trials by design.
Jason LaRoche, Director of Innovative Heath at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines’, says, “I believe that people want to do the right thing, but in the absence of information they don’t always know what the right thing is. This lack of information has been a barrier to action, but with the carbon calculator tool our trial designers can model and compare different trial design scenarios and gain insights into the opportunities that exist for them to design lower-carbon trials.”
The launch of the clinical trial carbon calculator coincides with the publication of an open letter by the CEOs of the member companies of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force. The letter encourages contract research organisations to measure emissions for all Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials from 2025, in line with the Task Force’s own commitment to do the same.
The collaborative approach undertaken by the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, iLCCT consortium and ERM in creating the carbon calculator is key to accelerating action on sustainability.
The Sustainable Healthcare Coalition remains keen to collaborate with all parties involved in the clinical trials ecosystem to collectively improve the work to assess and reduce further the impact of clinical trials. The calculator and supporting resources can be accessed at here.
References
1. Adshead, F., Salman, R. A., Aumonier, S., Collins, M., Hood, K., McNamara, C., Moore, K., Smith, R., Sydes, M. R., & Williamson, P. R. (2021). A strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical trials. The Lancet, 398(10297), 281–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140- 6736(21)01384-2
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Media Contact
Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
Samantha Holmes: [email protected]
About 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. Whilst we recognise that sustainable changes must happen within the healthcare system, we also recognise that this change cannot achieved by limiting innovation or progression. Our mission is to inspire and drive sustainable practice within the healthcare system, maximising benefit through innovation, sensible design, data-driven insights, and impactful partnerships.
Reach more: https://shcoalition.org/
