Sustainability in ophthalmology key focus of meeting

Irish College of Ophthalmologists, Annual Conference, Kilkenny Convention Centre, 21-23 May 2025

Sustainability in ophthalmology was the focus of a dedicated session at this year’s Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) Annual Conference 2025 in Kilkenny.

In 2024, under the stewardship and guidance of immediate past ICO President Mr John Doris, the College placed a priority on addressing sustainability in eyecare. The focus embraces a broader commitment encompassing both environmental sustainability and sustainability in ophthalmology practice. Healthcare, particularly surgery, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.

At this year’s sustainability session, there were two local speakers and one international speaker who discussed sustainability across both physical and clinical domains.

Dr Emilie Mahon, RCSI Ophthalmology Tutor, spoke about implementing sustainability in ophthalmology at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH), Dublin. The hospital is implementing a number of changes to reduce its carbon footprint. For cataract surgery, this involves reducing patient travel and visits to the hospital where possible, having a ‘one-stop clinic’ on the day of surgery, and increasing the number of surgeries per day, she said.

It also includes utilising re-usable equipment and compostable products, maximising recycling, and taking other energy-saving actions.

Mr Tommy Bracken, Strategic Advisor, RVEEH, Dublin, discussed the overall sustainability journey at the hospital. The RVEEH has a target of a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Actions taken to date to achieve this include taking a proactive approach to reducing energy use in the hospital (such as turning off lights, fans, and other equipment, when not in use), installing solar panels, and carefully upgrading its sash windows.

The hospital is also committed to having a heat pump in operation by the end of the year.

In terms of biodiversity, the RVEEH has reclaimed space from the car park and established a wild lawn in its place, and the flower beds have been expanded, with the planting of pollinator-friendly plants. The hospital has also undertaken an evaluation of establishing a beehive on campus and encourages staff to cycle, walk, or take public transport to work where possible.

These ongoing changes have reduced the hospital’s carbon footprint, and show that even in an older building like the RVEEH, carefully considered upgrades can result in significant environmental improvements and longer-term savings, Mr Bracken said.

The final speaker in the sustainability session, Dr Anders Bolmstedt, Chair of Health Care Without Harm Europe, Sweden, focused on reducing the use of harmful chemicals in healthcare.

He highlighted how certain healthcare-related substances, such as anaesthetic gases and inhalers, contribute to environmental degradation and climate change, which in turn affects public health. He also pointed to the direct health risks posed by chemical exposure, such as an increased risk of asthma.

Dr Bolmstedt emphasised that healthcare organisations should maintain a thorough inventory of all chemicals on site, limit stocks to only what is strictly necessary, and dispose responsibly of any surplus. He also urged careful procurement practices, encouraging the selection of safer, less harmful alternatives wherever possible.