Green hospitals: maximizing health and climate benefits globally

Abstract

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to global health, with the healthcare sector itself contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This perspective presents an innovative, adaptable framework for integrating sustainable and climate-friendly practices into healthcare settings across diverse economic contexts. We examine energy efficiency, waste management, water sustainability, supply chain optimization, telemedicine, and biophilic design in healthcare. The framework provides implementation strategies, cross-cutting climate innovations, and explores interconnections between climate-smart healthcare, health equity, and global sustainability. Our findings suggest that implementing climate-smart healthcare can lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions, enhanced resilience to climate-related health threats, and improved health outcomes globally. We conclude that the healthcare sector can transform from a significant contributor to climate change into a leader in climate mitigation and adaptation, creating a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable global health system.

Keywords: Climate mitigation; Co-benefits; Green hospitals; Health; Sustainability.