3 Ways to Reduce Healthcare's Carbon Footprint

According to data published by the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Md.), if the healthcare sector was considered a standalone nation, it would rank as the world's fifth-largest emitter of green house gases due to their high-energy usage and mass volume of waste production.

Let's see three main ways to reduce Healthcare's Carbon Footprint:

1- First, it is important to integrate smart building management (BMS) systems into hospitals to get a real-time carbon emissions monitoring and diversified energy sourcing. These systems come with sensors that track energy usage and are designed to reduce energy consumption by switching off lights, adjusting the building's temperature, and managing ventilation. More and more hospitals are adopting energy-efficient predictive maintenance practices to meet high environmental performance standards like LEED certification.

2- Second, instead of depending on fossil fuels, forward-thinking hospitals are exploring renewable energy sources for power generation through energy harvesting. This approach assists facilities in cutting carbon emissions, reducing reliance on the energy grid, and potentially achieving long-term cost savings.

3- Third and last, approximately 40-50% of global CO2 emissions come from material extraction and equipment manufacturing, with healthcare being a major contributor. So that, for example, Philips developed a sealed magnet to #reduce helium use in MR diagnostics. But, in general, it should be imperative to set aside all equipments that are outdated or produce too much waste.

Implementing these approaches could be beginning to reduce hospitals' ecological footprint, fostering a resilient and conscious healthcare for both current and future generations.