{"id":13070,"date":"2022-03-07T15:30:24","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T21:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=13070"},"modified":"2023-04-20T16:18:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T21:18:37","slug":"decarbonization-in-healthcare-can-be-achieved-pragmatically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/decarbonization-in-healthcare-can-be-achieved-pragmatically\/","title":{"rendered":"3 steps to healthcare decarbonization provides a pragmatic approach for organizations (Podcast included)"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Eric Vandenbroucke<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The U.S. healthcare industry is responsible for 2.4 percent of the world\u2019s total carbon emissions and nearly 50 percent of global healthcare emissions, according to Environmental Research Letters.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The reason is not a surprise. U.S. healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics\u2014with their 24\/7 operation, large consumption of supplies, exacting climate control and electricity needs, and 6.6 million hospital personnel driving to and from work every day\u2014creates a large operational energy burden.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In response, a growing number of healthcare organizations are beginning to address decarbonization of their buildings and campuses\u2014a daunting prospect for many. To provide guidance on how to begin the process, IMEG has released a new executive guide, <\/span>“Decarbonization in Healthcare.”<\/span><\/a> The guide offers thoughtful, measured, and practical approaches to reduce and eventually eliminate carbon emissions, as well as steps toward campus-wide building electrification\u2014the ultimate destination of the decarbonization journey.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This journey consists of three main parts:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The benefit of reducing carbon emissions is not just saving the planet. The Commonwealth Fund estimates that reducing energy use and adopting other environmentally sustainable policies can save the healthcare industry up to $15 billion over 10 years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It also reinforces healthcare\u2019s age-old mission to heal\u2014and the oath physicians take to \u201cdo no harm.\u201d The healthcare industry is the perfect standard bearer in the quest to heal the earth and can model a sustainable and responsible business practice for other industries to follow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learn more by <\/span>downloading IMEG\u2019s guide <\/span><\/a> or by listening to the podcast.<\/p>\n\n