The healthcare sectors of 36 countries were collectively responsible for 1.6 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions in 2014 (equivalent to 4.4% of the year’s global total), a newly published research paper has revealed.

Led by scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, the study also shows that – on average – healthcare-related emissions accounted for 5.5% of each individual country’s carbon footprint. Great Britain fared somewhat worse, however, with the healthcare sector accounting for 5.9% of the nation’s 2014 carbon footprint.

In total, Mexico contributed the lowest share (3.3%), while emissions were highest in the Netherlands (8.1%), the US (7.9%), Belgium (7.7%) and Japan (7.6%).