Singapore’s healthcare carbon footprint per person exceeds the global average, says Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How. (Photo: CoSM)
Singapore has released its first report on carbon emissions from the healthcare sector, revealing that hospitals and clinics emit 4.1 million tons of CO₂ equivalent annually — nearly 7% of the nation’s total emissions, higher than the global average.
More than 30% of these emissions come from the production and use of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, making them the single largest contributor across the healthcare value chain.
Aging population drives higher healthcare emissions
The study, released on Sept. 17 by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) during a sustainability forum co-hosted with the World Health Organization (WHO), found that Singapore’s per-capita healthcare emissions are above the global average, on par with Japan and South Korea. However, the country’s overall healthcare carbon footprint remains 20% lower than other developed nations.
