Climate change poses a critical threat to global health, with cancer care and clinical re-search contributing significantly to healthcare-related greenhouse gas emissions. This study provides the first national assessment of sustainability awareness, attitudes, and practices within the Irish cancer clinical trials community. A 21-item cross-sectional survey was distributed to 613 stakeholders affiliated with Cancer Trials Ireland, yielding a 20.6% response rate. Respondents represented a broad range of clinical, academic, and industry roles across all four provinces. Findings revealed low awareness of existing carbon footprint tools and guidelines, with only 21% familiar with the Sustainable Clinical Trials Group guidelines and fewer than 6% aware of the National Institute for Health and Care Research calculator. Despite limited formal training and low confidence in implementing carbon-reductive measures, 86% of respondents expressed willingness to engage with sustainability initiatives. Trial-related travel, sample kit waste, and trial set-up were perceived as the highest contributors to emissions, though perceptions did not always align with published data. Key barriers included lack of education, institutional support, and regulatory clarity, while financial incentives and training were identified as enablers. The findings underscore the need for coordinated, system-wide interventions to embed sustainability into cancer clinical trial design, governance, and funding processes.
Clayton-Lea et al. (Wed,) studied this question.