Climate change and sustainability: the role of hospitals

It is essential for healthcare services, especially hospitals, to be more aware of their carbon footprint

Humankind has had a major influence on the Earth’s ecosystems, especially in the last 100 years, altering them rapidly and putting the planet at risk of a sixth mass extinction.

These alterations are linked to climate change, which has had an effect on the global temperature, rainfall, water balance, ocean chemistry, the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events, and many other problems, making climate change the biggest public health issue facing humankind today.

The health sector, despite efforts to solve the intrinsic problems of the area—many of which are caused by climate change—often ends up exacerbating the issue due to the products and technologies it uses; the large volume of solid waste it produces through high consumption of resources such as water and energy; and the construction and occupation of large buildings, representing a significant source of pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The health services themselves, especially hospitals, thus intensify—albeit unintentionally—the very trends that threaten public health.

The impact of the health sector is so great that it can be compared to entire nations. The combined GHG emissions of all the hospitals in the world would place fifth in the world, while Brazil currently occupies seventh position.

Hospital care has major impacts on health and the environment before, during, and after the provision of healthcare.

It is therefore essential that health services, especially hospitals and healthcare teams, have a greater awareness of their carbon footprint and high GHG emissions, which contribute to climate change and consequently to the poor health of many people as part of a vicious cycle.

In 2011, the Health without Harm network established the Global Agenda for Green and Healthy Hospitals with the aim of encouraging health services around the world to adopt more sustainable practices, designed to be replicable by hospitals and health systems in different countries and different healthcare situations.

The agenda is composed of 10 objectives:

LEADERSHIP (prioritize environmental health)
CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES (replace hazardous substances with safer alternatives)
WASTE (reduce, treat, and safely dispose of healthcare waste)
ENERGY (implement energy efficiency and renewable clean energy generation)
WATER (reduce water consumption and provide drinking water)
TRANSPORT (improve transport strategies for patients and employees)
FOOD (purchase and provide healthy and sustainably grown food)
PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS (appropriate prescription, safe administration, and proper disposal)
BUILDINGS (support the design and construction of green and healthy hospitals)
PURCHASING (purchase safer and more sustainable products and materials)

Hospitals and health systems have the potential to play a leading role in tackling climate change, not only by adapting to the impacts of these changes, but also by mitigating them, promoting sustainability and equity in human and environmental health.

Hospitals also can implement environmental, social, and governance (ESG) processes, such as healthier buildings, green purchasing, renewable energy, and sustainable operations.

Hospitals and health systems can leverage their economic standing and moral reputation in the community, contributing to the achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals related to health and sustainability, while at the same time helping to promote a green economy.

Hospitals and health workers can therefore lead the promotion of planetary health by servings as models of sustainable practices, implementing environmental, economic, and social co-benefits that improve the health of the population beyond the traditional role of the health sector in providing quality human healthcare.

Developing climate-friendly hospitals that also improve the health of our planet is now an urgent task.

Karina Pavão Patrício is a professor at the Department of Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the São Paulo State University (Unesp) and coordinator of the Center for Sustainable Hospitals at the Hospital das Clínicas at the Faculty of Medicine of Unesp-Botucatu.

Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Science Arena or Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.

* This article may be republished online under the CC-BY-NC-ND Creative Commons license.
The text must not be edited and the author(s) and source (Science Arena) must be credited.