Healthcare sustainability: The road forward

The Environmental Social Governance (ESG) framework is a perfect fit for healthcare. It aligns neatly with the transformation from sick care to healthcare that many providers are pursuing, addressing critical issues that impact the health and well-being of the entire community.

According to The Commonwealth Fund, healthcare is responsible for as much as 4.6% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., it is closer to 8.5%. Last year, 15% of hospitals joined the White House Health Sector Climate Pledge, while others announced green purchasing initiatives and farm-to-table cafeteria programs. Leading organizations are focusing on the “E,” or environmental aspect, of ESG.

Health systems often start their sustainability journey by addressing their Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions – and rightfully so, as these direct and indirect emissions categories are essential. But when categorizing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the healthcare sector, The Commonwealth Fund indicates emissions from the production and transportation of goods and services (Scope 3) account for more than 80% of overall healthcare emissions. The bottom line? An inclusive view of sustainability and the impact of greenhouse gases that includes all players – inside and outside health systems – is imperative.

Take medical courier or healthcare logistics operations as an example. A typical health system uses six different medical couriers with little coordination or optimization. This unwieldy approach can lead to waste, overlap, and simply driving too many miles.

Read more here on what our CEO, Jake Crampton, had to say about healthcare logistics and the  steps needed to reduce your organization’s environmental impact.