Awareness of green endoscopy is low among healthcare professionals performing gastrointestinal endoscopy

In the 2022 Global Risk Report, “climate action failure” was identified as the most severe global risk for the next 10 years. Thus, to address the climate crisis, the goal of achieving zero-carbon emissions must be implemented across all industries, including the healthcare.¹ On average, the carbon footprint of the healthcare industry in 2014 accounted for 5.5% of the total national carbon footprint globally and 5.3% of the total national carbon footprint in Korea.² Gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) is one of the most rapidly developing fields in healthcare; however, due to its nature, it is associated with a large carbon footprint.³ GIE requires numerous disposable items, thus making it the third highest generator of medical waste in hospitals. Green endoscopy refers to the coordinated efforts of various stakeholders to reduce the carbon footprints of endoscopic procedures. Recently, a green endoscopy movement has been developed in Europe to achieve a sustainable future,^4,5 and it is just beginning to be translated into Korea. It is important to raise awareness of green endoscopy among healthcare professionals performing GIE, as this concept is relatively new.