Decarbonisation of Kidney Care in the United Arab Emirates: A Roadmap to an Environmentally Sustainable Care

Stephen Geoffrey Holt,1 Erik Koornneef,2 Ali Abdul Kareem Al Obeidli,3 Luke Hubbert,4 Lindsay Nicholson4 1SEHA Kidney Care, SEHA Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 2Research and Innovation Department, SEHA Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3Abu Dhabi Health Services Company Kidney Care (SEHA Kidney Care - SKC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 4Maverex Limited, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKCorrespondence: Stephen Geoffrey Holt, SEHA Kidney Care Central, Himam St, Al Mafraq, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Email [email protected]: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a major public health burden and a leading cause of mortality worldwide and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Alongside its clinical and humanistic burden, CKD care is associated with a significant carbon footprint. In this narrative review, we present an overview of the carbon footprint of current CKD treatments and the results of an analysis estimating the carbon footprint of CKD treatments in the UAE. Using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method and local data from the published national reports and inventory sources, we estimated that haemodialysis leads to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ~12.8 tons of CO2 equivalents (CO2eq) per person in the UAE annually. Thus, the decarbonisation of CKD care is crucial in establishing an environmentally sustainable healthcare system. We propose a framework to decarbonise CKD care in the UAE that tackles the carbon footprint of CKD care in the UAE by focusing on three main pillars: Delaying early CKD and slowing its progression; reducing anthropogenic emissions from CKD and dialysis care by promoting best practices and eco-friendly technologies; and enhancing access to kidney transplantation. Such approaches are relevant not only for the UAE but also for global healthcare systems aiming towards net-zero emissions.Keywords: chronic kidney disease, carbon footprints, dialysis, net zero, decarbonisation, sustainable healthcare, environmental impact