HealthThe ConversationGreener maternity care starts with changing hospitals, without putting pressure on pregnant women
A new report finds maternity care has a surprisingly large carbon footprint, with gas and air pain relief alone making up nearly a third of emissions, but experts say the burden of change should…
Birth involves emissions from travel, pain relief and disposable products, but system-level changes can reduce them without restricting choice.
A 2025 report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found selected maternity care activities in England generated around 205,000 tonnes of CO2e in 2022 to 2023.
Nearly 29 per cent of those emissions came from Entonox, or gas and air, because nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas with a large warming effect per use.
Researchers say system-level changes in hospitals should drive emissions reductions, and placing the burden of climate choices on women in labour is ethically wrong.
Experts say carbon targets should never be used to restrict access to caesarean birth or pain relief, so if you feel pressured about your birth choices on environmental grounds, that is not…
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