Sarah Abozeid

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 9-25-2025

Abstract

Total energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 0.8% in 2024, hitting an all-time high of 37.8 Gt CO2, driven primarily by energy, transport, and industrial sectors. The healthcare sector, often overlooked in mitigation discussions, contributes 4.4% of total global GHG emissions, a footprint exceeding that of many countries. Disposal of petroleum-based plastics—especially through incineration—emits approximately 2.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per tonne of plastic burnt. Production itself accounts for around 2.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne of

plastic, making the combined lifecycle emissions significant when including end- of-life incineration or decomposition. Around 16,000 tonnes of plastics are

produced globally for rapid testing every year., with a high percentage of medical waste in LMICs (Low-Middle income countries) mismanaged, releasing CO2, methane, and microplastics. So, this Policy paper under the theme of mitigation focus on aligning with COP30 specific axes which are:  Axis I – Decarbonizing industrial processes through material substitution.  Axis II – Deploying bio-based, nature-positive solutions.  Axis VI – Financing scalable low-carbon health technologies. A biodegradable multi-diagnostic patch using compostable bio-polymers to replace petroleum-derived plastics is proposed. The design reduces lifecycle emissions, unmanaged waste, and fossil fuel dependence while preserving diagnostic accuracy and Localized production.

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