The UNESCO Chair researchers, Dr Ilija Sazdovski and Marta Santamaria Molina, took part in the 7th Nordic Conference on Sustainable Healthcare, held in Malmö on November 12.
At the 7th Nordic Conference on Sustainable Healthcare, Dr Sazdovski presented key findings from the CATALYSE Horizon Europe Project, focusing on the educational requirements necessary to achieve carbon neutrality in the Catalan healthcare system. His presentation highlighted three main drivers for curriculum transformation: the Need, the Gap, and the Pressure.
Drawing on the Theory of Change process conducted in 2023 and 2024, Dr Sazdovski outlined the first driver, the Need, defined through six key education areas:
Governance, policy and institutional change
Stakeholder engagement, participation and change management (top-down and bottom-up)
Finance, business models and the economics of climate and sustainability
Digitalisation, data, monitoring and evaluation
Technical and sector-specific competencies (e.g., energy systems, low-carbon interventions)
Systemic thinking and multi-pathway transition design
However, when comparing these findings with the Guidelines for Climate Change Mitigation, the second driver becomes clear: the Gap. According to the carbon footprint analysis of the Catalan healthcare system and associated high-impact mitigation scenarios, the six identified educational areas (the Need) address only 30% of the emissions reductions required by 2050.
Another 30% of reductions must come from cross-sectoral mitigation measures, such as decarbonising the electricity grid and improving public transport. Addressing these interlinkages requires enhanced knowledge and capacity-building not only among healthcare stakeholders but also across interconnected sectors.
An additional gap emerges from the projected increase in healthcare service demand, driven by demographic changes and the rising health impacts of climate change. This trend underscores the need for strengthened education in primary prevention and public health.
The third driver, the Pressure, reflects both the vulnerability and critical importance of healthcare systems —clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic— and the growing societal call for change. Notably, student protests at the University of Barcelona have pushed for greater integration of climate-related content in university curricula.
“It is our obligation as educators to equip students with the practical knowledge they need to be competitive in the labour market and prepared to deliver a carbon-neutral Catalan healthcare system,” concluded Dr Sazdovski.
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Dr Sahar Azarkamand and Dr Ilija Sazdovski, researchers at the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF, participated in the Second Annual Meeting of the KijaniBox Project, held at Technische Universität Dresden from October 27 to 30, 2025.
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The UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF contributed as a co-author to the article "Promoting health through climate change mitigation in Europe," published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal (2025).
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