Earth Day 2023: Health of People and Planet
Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is a major source of pollution, accounting for about 8.5%
of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and a similar share of major air pollutants (HealthAffairs.org).
CommonSpirit is dedicated to changing that narrative.
From access to clean air and safe drinking water to the effects of extreme weather. These conditions contribute to a long list of health-related issues, from trauma and emergencies to mental health, allergies, respiratory illness, and infectious diseases.
We are building healthier communities, advocating for those who are poor and vulnerable, and innovating how and where healing can happen by elevating understanding that climate change is a healthy equity issue. We are investing to create stronger communities where we live, work, learn, and pray, and are promoting sustainable, resilient, and climate-smart health care across our 21-state footprint.
On Earth Day 2022, CommonSpirit Health introduced a Climate Action Plan establishing
industry-leading climate goals and a Net-Zero commitment. Because climate change has a
direct impact on the health of communities, CommonSpirit is committed to achieving net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 with an interim target to cut operational emissions in half
by 2030.
CommonSpirit is committed to environmental sustainability through the following programs:
- The Chemical Footprint Project – CommonSpirit participates in the program, which leads global efforts to measure and make progress in safer chemical use.
- Greenhealth Exchange – CommonSpirit is a founding partner. The initiative works to accelerate the development and adoption of new and more environmentally-friendly products.
- America is All In – We advocate and work with sustainability partners, such as America is All In, a coalition of U.S. leaders to drive a society-wide mobilization to reach at least 50-52% emissions reductions by 2030.
- ecoAmerica – CommonSpirit partnered with ecoAmerica to educate and encourage caregivers and employees regarding the connection between climate and health and to advocate for improvements in climate change measures.
- Health Care Without Harm – CommonSpirit is a member of Health Care Without Harm. An initiative of Health Care Without Harm, the Health Care Climate Challenge engages and equips health care institutions – from small clinics to large health systems to ministries of health – to commit to effective climate action while building collective impact across countries and across borders.
Earth Day 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22.