European Healthcare Climate Summit 2021 | Registration open

Date: 26 October 2021 | 10:30 - 13:00 CEST | Online

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This year, heatwaves and wildfires in Mediterranean countries have highlighted once again that the region is already facing significant threats from climate change, which are testing the resilience of its healthcare systems. This, combined with the fact that the region’s climate brings its own set of challenges (such as a reliance on air conditioning and cooling systems) and opportunities (a significant untapped potential for renewable energy generation), makes it ideally suited to serve as a best-practice region for zero emissions healthcare in Europe.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe’s Low-carbon healthcare in the Mediterranean region project supported hospitals across Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Italy to establish internal carbon management teams and plans to transition to zero emissions healthcare. It also facilitated networking between hospitals in the region and encouraged an exchange of best practice. By taking a health provider-level approach during the project, HCWH Europe was able to provide more hands-on support to participants and pilot a bottom-up methodology to carbon management, which provided vital input for the development of a toolkit for healthcare decarbonisation.

Healthcare Decarbonisation Toolkit

This year’s European Healthcare Climate Summit will feature the launch of the Healthcare Decarbonisation Toolkit: Experiences from the Mediterranean region. The toolkit will facilitate the integration of climate action into healthcare planning and, whilst it is based on Mediterranean experiences, it can be used by any European hospital.

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Help us shape climate and health policy

The Low-carbon healthcare in the Mediterranean region project has also highlighted key gaps in the climate and health policies of Mediterranean countries. We are, therefore, currently developing a series of policy recommendations for the region to accompany the toolkit. At this year's Climate Summit, we will present the health and climate policy landscape in the Mediterranean region and use it as an opportunity to gain valuable feedback from attendees to support us in developing these policy recommendations.

Who should attend?

The Healthcare Decarbonisation Toolkit is one of the first guides supporting healthcare providers to develop carbon management plans for their organisations. And while the project's policy recommendations are aimed at a system/ministry level, it is the staff within healthcare facilities that will ultimately be responsible for the ground-level action necessary to meet a net zero target, and their input is critical at this stage. This year's Climate Summit is, therefore, aimed primarily at sustainability professionals and senior decision-makers working within healthcare facilities. However, we also welcome attendees from international agencies and national/regional ministries, policy-makers, academics, and healthcare professionals.

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