From awareness to action: A three‑lever, CMIP‑aligned roadmap to decarbonize and climate‑proof Japan’s healthcare sector

Kazumi Kubota

PLOS Climate, 2025, vol. 4, issue 12, 1-4

Abstract: Healthcare faces a dual mandate: protect people from intensifying climate hazards while cutting its own footprint. Globally, healthcare produces 4%–5% of greenhouse gas emissions, largely from supply chains. England’s National Health Service has paired targets with tools—procurement standards, clinical guidance, estates upgrades, and transparent measurement—to deliver early wins. Japan now stands at an implementation frontier: a November 2025 Health and Global Policy Institute survey of 152 organizations shows high awareness but limited “how‑to” knowledge and little action. This Opinion proposes a sequenced roadmap—Education, Measurement, Incentives—aligned with CMIP’s regularly updated climate data. Priorities are climate‑health content in continuing education, a minimum viable measurement set aligned with standards, and procurement, finance, and recognition to deliver reductions and resilience within 12–36 months. Aligning operations to CMIP’s cadence can position Japan’s health sector as a credible contributor to national climate goals and provide a scalable template for others.

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pclm00:0000785

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000785

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