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The Conversation

Alice Craggs, Lecturer in Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, London South Bank University

Greener maternity care starts with changing hospitals, without putting pressure on pregnant women

Emissions Pregnancy NHS Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Entonox, or gas and air, is widely used for pain relief during labour, but the nitrous oxide it contains is a potent greenhouse gas. J O Atkinson/Shutterstock

The NHS has a substantial carbon footprint. Yet one part of its environmental impact receives relatively little attention: maternity care.

The health service is responsible for an estimated 4% to 5% of England’s greenhouse gas emissions. A 2025 report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists estimated that selected maternity care activities in England generated about 205,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2022–23.

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