Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite has led the development of a major international position paper calling on healthcare organisations worldwide to make decarbonisation a core component of quality improvement and patient safety.

Published by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), the new Green Paper, Towards Higher Quality, Safer Care: Reducing Greenhouse Gases – The 2nd ISQua Green Paper: A Call to Action on Health System Decarbonisation, outlines practical actions health systems can take to reduce emissions while delivering safer, higher-quality and more resilient care.

This paper will be officially launched at the opening of the 42nd International Society for Quality in Healthcare Conference, in Dublin, Ireland (27th – 30th September 2026) on 28th September.

The paper can be accessed by ISQua members here.

Developed through an 18-month international collaboration led by researchers from AIHI's Observatory on the Future of Healthcare, the Green Paper draws on a systematic review of 205 studies across 26 countries, alongside consultation with healthcare leaders, policymakers and quality experts.

The paper highlights the challenge facing health systems as they respond to climate change while contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that environmental sustainability should be embedded within healthcare improvement efforts rather than treated as a separate agenda.

Professor Braithwaite, Founding Director of AIHI and lead author of the Green Paper, said the evidence for action is compelling.

"The evidence is now overwhelming: healthcare must be part of the solution to climate change.

This Green Paper provides a practical framework for health systems worldwide to reduce emissions while delivering safer, higher-quality care. Decarbonisation is no longer an optional extra. It is core business for modern healthcare.

Our message is simple: greener care is better care."

The publication provides recommendations across policy and governance, organisational behaviour change, workforce action, and measurement and monitoring. It also identifies opportunities for emissions reduction through clinical practice, waste management, transport, infrastructure and sustainable procurement.

By integrating sustainability with quality and safety initiatives, the Green Paper demonstrates how health systems can improve patient outcomes, strengthen resilience and contribute to global net-zero goals.