Problem:
Hospitals pollute due to their facilities, electricity use, vehicles, and supply chains for medicines and medical devices.
Solution
Zero-emission hospitals
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service has launched an ambitious plan to eliminate nearly all of its carbon emissions by 2040
A 76-page plan, “Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service, forwarded by Sir Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive includes a range of solutions:
- to cut out single-use plastics;
- reuse and refurbish devices;
- to capture and reuse anesthetic gases,
- to find alternative products with a smaller impact on the planet; and
- ask suppliers to make the same net-zero pledge;
- to generate renewable energy and heat onsite: to process and recycle waste;
- to replace less efficient lights with LEDs to save energy; to introduce fleets of zero-emission ambulances by 2032; and
- to build 40 new “net-zero” hospitals to run more cleanly and efficiently.
France
L’Assistance Public-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) whose 39 hospitals receive 8.3 million patients per year, has launched a appeal for projects to accelerate their eco-transition.
Iceland
Landspitali, the National University Hospital of Iceland, has substantially reduced its carbon footprint by increasing eco-friendly travel to and from work from 21% to 40% of employees. Through the design of a green travel agreement, Landspitali has created economic and health gains for its employees while minimising CO2.
India
Bhagat Chandra Hospital, a multispecialty, 85 bed facility in Dwarka, New Delhi, India has achieved considerable financial and environmental benefits by transitioning to solar energy, conserving approximately 93 000 kg CO2 emissions since 2016. Through a coordinated, hospital-wide initiative, Bhagat Chandra has installed 50 kW solar panels that connect to the electrical system and reduce 20-30% of its energy consumption.
Malaysia
Through a different approach, the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Dialysis Center in Malaysia has reduced its carbon footprint by promoting vegetarianism and using reusable food containers. Implementing an “only vegetarian” policy since the centre opened in 1997, the centre saves 4.9 kg of CO2 emissions for every kg of tofu served in place of chicken. They have also seen major falls in carbon footprint by reducing the use of plastic bags
USA
Kaiser Permanente, an integrated managed care consortium based in Oakland, California, USA, has made concerted efforts to purchase environmentally responsible computers. It has been able to reduce the use of toxic materials and energy, resulting in energy cost savings of $4m a year
Discover Solution 189: Why hotspot zones, rich in fauna and flora are so vital for our Planet
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