The healthcare sector must take responsibility for the impacts that its own emissions are having on our health, and take action to decarbonise in line with the Paris Agreement.
The healthcare sector is responsible for 4.6% of net global emissions. We work with healthcare facilities to calculate and reduce their significant carbon footprint, as well as leverage their significant buying power (10% of GDP in Europe) to influence the supply chain.
As a frontline service tasked with treating the health impacts of climate change, the healthcare sector must be prepared for and resilient to the impacts of climate change.
A crucial aspect of our work is ensuring that healthcare institutions are prepared to protect healthcare facilities, healthcare staff, and the wider community from extreme weather events and other climate change impacts.
Healthcare professionals are consistently ranked as some of the most trusted professionals in society - and can thus be powerful advocates for change.
A key component of our work is mobilising healthcare professionals to use their trusted voice to drive climate action among colleagues, patients, the public, and policymakers. Through our healthcare professional networks - the Nurses Climate Challenge and Doctors for Greener Healthcare - and our annual European Healthcare Climate Summit, we encourage collaboration and build the movement for sustainable healthcare in Europe.
