Last month, Environ was invited to speak at the HealthTrust Connect event about solutions in sustainability and decarbonization. The event host, HealthTrust Performance Group, is a leading group purchasing organization (GPO) that serves hospitals and healthcare providers across the nation and brings partners together annually to foster collaboration and drive innovation.
Watch the video below for some short clips about environmental, social, and governments (ESG) impact, and how organizations track and report ESG activities for investors, stakeholders, and customers. Critical to the process is creating departmental structure and assessing and minimizing risks. Strong governance structure is essential to drive sustainability in healthcare.
President and founder of Environ’s ISOS group Nancy Mancilla explained that for a long time, ESG activities operated in silos. “To create real traction and effectively operationalize measures, there must be a governance structure in place.”
Environ also shared key aspects of the Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification program. This voluntary certification evaluates hospitals on their structures and processes for enhancing energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprints, and minimizing waste. This certification positions hospitals as responsible, environmentally conscious care providers in a changing landscape. Learn about how Environ client Hackensack Meridian Hospitals achieved the first certification of its kind in the U.S.
On the Question of How the 2024 Election Could Impact Sustainability Regulations?
Jennifer Kearney, Environ’s President of Sustainability highlighted that many hospitals already prioritize sustainability, viewing it as essential regardless of political shifts. “When sustainability pays for itself, there’s no reason to hold back.”
Jennifer also tackled key topics like aligning C-suite leadership with sustainability goals, avoiding capacity cost increases, and enhancing grid resiliency. Two ways to avoid capacity cost increases are to either get off the grid and provide more of your own power to become more resilient or implement a really strong energy efficiency plan and buy only the energy you need.
Decarbonization and Sustainability in Healthcare
Decarbonization plans help organizations identify areas with high carbon intensity, set measurable reduction targets, and prioritize the adoption of clean energy solutions. The benefits for hospitals extend beyond environmental impact to include operational cost savings, improved infrastructure resilience, and strengthened reputations as sustainability leaders.
Environ emphasized the critical role of GHG accounting, covering Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect emissions from energy consumption) and Scope 3 emissions across the value chain. GHG tracking services and software enable hospitals to collect and analyze data on emissions, providing transparency in sustainability reporting and supporting progress toward reduction goals.
Turnkey Energy Efficiency Solutions and Renewables for Sustainable Healthcare
Turnkey energy efficiency solutions streamline the entire energy management process, from initial audits and infrastructure inventory to implementation and monitoring. Services like energy and lighting audits, asset/infrastructure inventories, and central plant electrification analysis play a part in meeting sustainability goals and improving the environmental performance of hospital facilities. These renewable energy solutions provide reliable, low-carbon energy sources, enabling hospitals to reduce dependency on traditional energy sources and minimize their carbon footprint.
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