Many people don’t think of the healthcare industry as a major driver of a warming climate. But a study published in the journal HealthAffairs put the U.S. healthcare industry's greenhouse gas emissions even higher — at 8.5% of the country's total — and captured a 6% rise in overall emissions between 2010 and 2018. That figure includes emissions related to energy usage at healthcare facilities, as well as indirect emissions, including the manufacturing and delivery of equipment, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals.
Not only do these figures make healthcare one of the most carbon-intensive industries on the planet, but healthcare's emissions are also forecast to increase dramatically. If leaders in healthcare don't implement climate initiatives, global emissions from healthcare could triple by 2050, according to a report from the global nonprofit Health Care Without Harm.
Strategies to decarbonize
There is broad recognition across the healthcare industry about the need to significantly reduce emissions. Organizations such as the National Academy of Medicine, the American College of Physicians, and Health Care Without Harm have all released rationales for aggressive action and detailed strategies to decarbonize.
Below are four strategies from different organizations that address the variety of areas where the healthcare industry can make a big difference in lowering emissions:
- Decarbonize healthcare delivery, facilities, and operations. According to Health Care Without Harm’s report, about 84% of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the healthcare industry come from burning fossil fuels. An important step to reduce emissions is to transition hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities to renewable energy while also improving the energy efficiency of existing facilities. Not only could these steps reduce healthcare emissions by nearly 20 gigatons by 2050, but they could also save companies a lot of money.
- Create green doctor's offices. In the American College of Physicians' Climate Change Toolkit, there are an array of initiatives doctors can enact to decarbonize their practices. The toolkit recommends several actions doctors can take, including encouraging employees to use public transportation or bike or walk to work, transitioning to energy-efficient lighting, adjusting office temperatures to lower energy consumption, and seeking out office space in highly efficient LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings.
- Decarbonize healthcare’s supply chain. Over 70% of healthcare’s emissions come from the supply chain that provides the pharmaceuticals, equipment, and materials needed to deliver care, according to Health Care Without Harm. The organization's report advocates leveraging the collective buying power of health systems to demand zero-emissions healthcare products and to require disclosure and verification that suppliers are meeting their obligations.
- Accelerate decarbonization in the wider economy and society. Healthcare professionals can use their respected position in society to advocate for strong climate change policy and to raise awareness about the connection between human health and the climate. For example, the National Academy of Medicine's Grand Challenge on Climate Change, Human Health & Equity urges medical professionals to educate the wider public about the connections between human health and a warming climate.
Decarbonization action gains momentum
While ambitious targets and pathways are important, a number of healthcare companies around the country are already far along in their decarbonization journey. In 2014, for example, Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin became the first healthcare system in the U.S. to produce more energy from renewable sources like wind and solar than its facilities consume.
Since 2008, Gundersen has developed almost a dozen renewable energy projects – everything from wind and solar to biogas from dairies. The company has had such success in developing renewable energy that it launched Gundersen Envision, a new division aimed at helping other health systems implement renewables, energy efficiency, and other decarbonization solutions.
In 2019, another Midwest health system began transitioning its 27 hospitals and 500-plus outpatient clinics to begin running on renewable electricity. As part of its plan to power all of its operations with 100% renewable energy, Advocate Aurora Health said it would evaluate all of its major construction and renovation projects with an eye toward installing on-site renewable energy. When on-site renewable energy is not financially feasible, the health system – which is the 10th largest nonprofit health system in the nation – said it would utilize renewable energy produced off-site and purchase clean electricity from other suppliers in order to meet its goal.
In 2020, Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated non-profit health system, announced that it had achieved carbon neutrality. To reach that goal, Kaiser Permanente first focused on improving the energy efficiency in its buildings and installed on-site renewable generation. The health system also purchases renewable electricity produced by other power producers and buys carbon credits to offset the emissions generated to heat and cool some of its facilities. Though Kaiser Permanente’s carbon neutrality currently applies to the emissions produced at its own facilities and the electricity it purchases, the company has also pledged to reduce emissions associated with its supply chain.
A Decarbonized Future
Few professionals will more directly face and have to navigate the challenges posed by climate change than those who deliver healthcare. Across the industry, there is increased urgency to act now and prepare for climate change's impacts on human health, as well as the need to lower healthcare's emissions.
Fortunately, hospitals and other healthcare providers are pursuing tangible actions to lower energy consumption and emissions. By adopting renewable energy strategies, investing in energy-efficient technologies, and pushing for industry-wide change, healthcare can lower the emissions and waste generated throughout their supply chain. These actions are a welcome start to the more ambitious and comprehensive decarbonization healthcare companies across the world need to achieve.