Clinical trials and environmental sustainability: review of key considerations to develop climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies

Overview

This report examines how clinical trials contribute to environmental impacts and outlines key considerations for integrating environmental sustainability into trial design, conduct and oversight. It explores the carbon footprint and resource use associated with clinical research activities – including site operations, participant travel, supply chains, data management and waste – and highlights how these impacts intersect with climate change risks to health systems and research infrastructure.

The document brings together current evidence, emerging practices and policy perspectives to support both climate change mitigation – reducing emissions and resource use – and adaptation – strengthening the resilience of trials to climate-related disruptions. It proposes practical strategies for sponsors, investigators, regulators and ethics committees, such as greener trial designs, digital and decentralised approaches, sustainable procurement and governance mechanisms.

Overall, the report positions environmentally sustainable clinical trials as essential to protecting research quality, participant safety and long-term global health outcomes in the context of climate change.