Emissions from pharmaceutical consumption have almost doubled in 24 years, study finds - Tech and Science Post

Emissions from pharmaceutical consumption have almost doubled in 24 years, study finds - Tech and Science Post

Greenhouse gas emissions related to pharmaceutical consumption increased by 77% over the past 24 years, according to a Leiden University study published in The Lancet Planetary Health. Moreover, efficiency gains have stalled since 2008. “Our best option is reducing consumption and minimizing waste,” says Rosalie Hagenaars, the lead author. People don’t often consider the environmental consequences when taking painkillers, antibiotics, or prescri…

Greenhouse gas emissions from the pharmaceutical sector have grown much more strongly in recent decades than in other sectors. Between 1995 and 2019, emissions attributable to medication increased by 77 percent worldwide, according to calculations by researchers from the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University. The growth was particularly strong in China, followed by the US. This is mainly due to the significant increase i…