Read the Green Maternity Report
Eight priorities for sustainable maternity care, with case studies and recommendations.
The case for change
The climate and ecological crisis affects women's sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide. Action on sustainability is essential to safeguard future generations and uphold women’s access to safe, compassionate and personalised maternity care.
At the same time, health inequalities mean many women and birthing people face poorer outcomes. The Green Maternity programme brings sustainability and equity together – tackling waste, saving costs and improving care for families.
How this work began
In 2024, the RCOG was awarded funding through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare programme to lead a national project to deliver lower-carbon, more equitable models of maternity care in line with the NHS net zero ambition.
The programme is a collaboration with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) and the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition (SHC). It is led by a clinical fellow and supported by an expert advisory group representing the voices of our members. At its heart is a public involvement group of ten women. Their insights ensure the work remains grounded in real experience and prioritises informed consent, personalised care and equity.
The first phase mapped common maternity pathways to identify where emissions and inequalities are most concentrated. This work launched the Green Maternity Challenge, a national quality improvement initiative enabling NHS teams to test and scale practical, replicable sustainable QI (SusQI) projects supported by expert mentoring from the CSH.
Explore the programme
Learn about the challenge and conference
Discover how NHS teams are driving change through the Green Maternity Challenge, and explore highlights from the national project showcase in March 2025.