VIENNA -- Underneath the metaphysical nature imagery, acrobatics, and starry lights that dazzled audience members in the Austria Center, the message of sustainability and planetary health echoed throughout the opening ceremony of ECR 2025.
Speakers at the “Wonder” ceremony held on the evening of 26 February called on audience members to act on better sustainability practices to help the planetary environment, which also means more international collaboration.
“We need urgent change and we need everyone to play their part,” said Andrea Rockall, MD, president of the European Society of Radiology (ESR), which hosts the ECR every year. “But we radiologists have been here before. We have a roadmap for decreasing harm drawn up by the pioneers by our own specialty.”
Andrea Rockall speaking at the opening ceremony. All photos courtesy of ESR and Sebastian Kreuzberger.
Congress attendees were clued in throughout the first day about the “Planet Radiology” theme for this year’s ECR, with 3D images of various flora and fauna covering signs and session introduction slides, such as a deer with antlers that reminiscent of the human vascular system or a human heart with branches serving as the veins.
Presentations throughout the opening day and for the rest of the week have sustainability in mind, outlining energy use and best practices for imaging facilities to be more eco-friendly.
“We now face an invisible harm -- not invisible rays, but invisible gases, greenhouse gases,” Rockall said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has named climate change as the biggest threat to health. The WHO projects that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause about 250,000 added deaths per year from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone.
The Paris Agreement of 2015, meanwhile, projected that while 2025 will be the peak year for greenhouse gas emissions, these will decline by 43% by 2030.
“Let us make the next five years transformational,” Rockall said. “Let us be the generation of imagers that decreases harm to the planet.”
So, how can radiology help the cause?
Researchers and industry vendors at ECR 2025 have suggested several methods for reducing waste and more efficiently using resources. This includes employing less invasive image-guided techniques, implementing more eco-friendly energy use for scanners, and reducing the use of single-use disposable instruments, among other ways.
The European School of Radiology (ESOR) in April is launching its sustainability course to teach aspiring radiologists about best practices in sustainability. And the ESR is continuing its Green Radiology Program, which launched in 2014. The program aims to promote sustainability in radiology practices by issuing guidelines and recommendations and promoting research and the development of evaluation tools.
Speakers at the ceremony highlighted that collaboration and education will be key to achieving these goals.
“As we embrace these five days of learning, discovery and inspiration, I challenge each of you to embrace the transformation of our professions,” said Patrizia Cornacchione, PhD, president of the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS), to the ECR audience. “Let this congress be a time to exchange ideas, explore the frontiers of technology, and reflect all the possibilities we hope not only will advance healthcare but also in saving our planet.”
Patrizia Cornacchione.
Emma Baines, deputy head of mission for the British Embassy in Vienna, said that sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise will help problem-solving for pressing health issues. She called for international collaboration and diversity in medical research to drive progress, as well as highlighted the U.K.’s Design for Life roadmap. This aims to transition away from single-use medical technology products.
“We know we need to join forces with international partners to achieve this goal,” Baines said.
One such effort to achieve this collaboration that Baines noted is the Earthshot Prize, where winning researchers from around the world receive a grant of £1 million (€1.2 million) to continue their environmental work.
“Let’s build bridges, not walls, and work together hand-in-hand to address the global challenges that lie ahead,” Baines said. “Together, we can create a brighter future for all.
Rafeal Mariano Grossi.
And Rafeal Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), highlighted from the association’s Lancet Oncology Commission that better imaging access could save nearly 2.5 million lives by 2030 while yielding global lifetime productivity gains. He also noted the efforts of the IAEA Rays of Hope initiative, launched in 2022, which focuses on prioritizing a limited number of high-impact, cost-effective, and sustainable interventions in line with national needs.
“We have facilitated the construction of new cancer facilities in countries including Benin and Malawi, delivered life-saving equipment including thousands of mammography machines to 18 countries in Latin America, and supported the training of medical professionals in Tinian, Senegal, and other countries in Africa,” Grossi said.
Check out AuntMinnieEurope.com's entire coverage of ECR 2025 on our RADCast.
