Our environmental work | Association of Anaesthetists

Our environmental work

Our environmental work

Here at the Association we recognise that our actions have an impact in the environment and we see sustainability and climate change as key strategic issues.  

In 2016 we conducted a membership environment strategy survey.  The results from this were used to identify priority areas for action in our joint environmental policy statement and strategy.

Find your nearest environmental champion

The environmental champions network is a vital link in the sustainability chain for the Association of Anaesthetists. This network provides communication between the Association and its members on sustainability matters. The creation of this map is the next tool in networking, to allow individuals to find other sustainability champions in local trusts.

Networking is an important tool in the sustainability challenge facing us and healthcare. Irrespective of your grade and where you are around the world, join the network and become a point of contact to share ideas and collaborate on sustainable projects in your hospital.

Start or contribute to sustainability conversations on our member network, Community.


Joint statement on NHSE’s plan to decommission desflurane by early 2024  

The climate emergency is a health emergency, and as such we, the Association of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) are committed to promoting actions that encourage environmental sustainability within anaesthetic practice and amongst our members and fellows. We welcome the NHS commitment to reach net zero on its direct emissions, including volatile anaesthetics, by 2040. We also support NHS England’s commitment to stop the use of desflurane, an environmentally harmful anaesthetic agent, by early 2024. 

This builds on the continued, hard work of anaesthetists, who have already successfully reduced their use of desflurane. We support the decommissioning of desflurane given the availability of clinically safe, more environmentally friendly, and cost-effective alternatives. We will continue to work with our members and NHS England to capture and accommodate exceptional clinical circumstances that might require a documented exemption. In addition to this commitment to stop the use of desflurane, we are encouraged by the work being undertaken by Trusts to reduce their nitrous oxide waste. 

We support NHS England and other governments to commit to further actions that address this issue, such as replacing nitrous oxide manifolds that supply surgical theatres with a limited number of small cylinders on anaesthetic machines. We look forward to continuing our work with NHS England to deliver this commitment to stop the use of desflurane and reducing the environmental impact of anaesthetic practices.

Please refer to the guidance from NHS England on desflurane decommissioning and clinical use.