Global Action in Addressing the Challenge of Environmental Change and Digestive Health: A Report Card on Progress

Environmental change is adversely affecting digestive health. Paradoxically, digestive health care contributes to the problem by generating emissions and waste. This study aimed to develop a set of metrics, a report card, to assess the response of the global digestive health community to this challenge.

A survey was developed covering 26 actions that digestive health societies could take to reduce the environmental impact of digestive care. It was distributed to the leadership of national digestive health societies that are members of the World Gastroenterology Organization, as well as to 11 additional national societies. Five major international multisociety meetings were reviewed for sustainability practices. Positive responses were graded on a scale of A (81% to 100%) to E (0% to 20%). Four questions in the current survey were the same as those in a 2022 study, and the 2 sets were compared.

Forty-four responses were received from 121 invitations (36% response rate). Based on the number of positive responses to each sustainability metric, the global digestive health community received an overall grade of D or D-. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2022 survey data and current responses. Most major international meetings have successfully transitioned to hybrid formats, offering remote presentation options and digital archives to reduce travel-related emissions.

The global digestive health community's response to the challenge of environmental change remains in its early stages. There is evidence of progress, especially in the change in the format of international meetings to include virtual attendance.