The carbon footprint of pathology testing

To the Editor: The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) is concerned with some of the conclusions drawn in the article by McAlister and colleagues.1 We support the suggestion that there are opportunities for reducing waste and carbon dioxide emissions in pathology laboratories and, with the RCPA Quality Assurance Programs, we encourage laboratories to reduce their environmental impact whenever possible. There are laboratories already active in this space.2,3 Furthermore, we unequivocally support and encourage clinicians to exercise due consideration in choosing appropriate pathology tests. However, the reduction of pathology testing purely to reduce carbon footprint brings significant public health and economic consequences to the community.