Stage 5
Striving for Continuous Improvement
In Stage 5, “Striving for Continuous Improvement,” health care suppliers focus on refining and advancing their sustainability efforts.
This stage involves sharing experiences through a report, continuously assessing emissions, adopting new technologies, and adhering to evolving reporting standards. Prioritizing requirements and voluntary standards, mitigating risks, integrating climate factors into business decisions, joining relevant associations, and reporting progress become essential components at this point in the journey. Through ongoing improvement, health care suppliers drive resilience, innovation, and transparency, contributing to a sustainable future.
Stage 1
Understanding and Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
Stage 2
Governance and Organizational Planning
Stage 3
Tackling Scope 1 & 2 Emissions
Stage 4
Tackling Scope 3 Emissions
Stage 5
Striving for Continuous Improvement
Stage 1
Understanding and Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
Stage 4
Tackling Scope 3 Emissions
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Actions
Create a report detailing experience for others to use in their journey
Continuous process that will involve assessing current emissions and making improvements based on new technology and reporting standards
The Green Print: Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care
Assess and prioritize which requirements/voluntary standards can be leveraged to build resilience
E.g., a carbon tax that supports the transition to locally generated renewable energy; energy efficiency gains that lessen dependence on foreign oil; climate risk assessment and scenario analysis that highlights hot spots for acute physical risk to own operations or suppliers
The Green Print: Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care
Understanding the Circular Economy and What Hospitals Can Do to Grow It
Leveraging your climate risk and opportunity assessment, prioritize and execute initiatives that mitigate immediate risk and build resiliency
E.g., a water recycling or conservation project at a facility in a water-stressed area; a renewable energy installation in a region offering government incentives
Understanding the Circular Economy and What Hospitals Can Do to Grow It
SBIR and STTR Programs
SME Climate Hub
Integrate climate-related factors into key business decisions for strategy, risk management, resilience, finance and capital planning, R&D, operations (including supplier management and procurement), organizational structure and talent management, pricing, marketing, and investor and government relations
- Establish an inspection or audit mechanism
- As initiatives are launching to meet goals, ensure measurement continues overtime and new processes are reassessed for efficiency
Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care
The Green Print: Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
Together for Sustainability (TfS) Initiative
Consider joining a peer-group and/or other associations/entities
E.g., Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Action Collaborative to Decarbonize the US Health Sector Network Organizations
NAM Initiative to Accelerate the National Climate and Health Movement
Clean Energy Buyers Association
SME Climate Hub
Sustainable Freight Buyers Alliance
SBIR and STTR Programs
Together for Sustainability (TfS) Initiative
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
Report annual progress toward Scopes 1-3 GHG emissions target
SME Climate Hub
Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care
Potential Challenges
Data Accuracy and Integrity
Ensuring data accuracy and integrity in sustainability reporting can be challenging, requiring robust data management systems and processes
Together for Sustainability (TfS) Initiative
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
Stakeholder Engagement
Engaging stakeholders effectively and maintaining ongoing communication and collaboration can be demanding, especially when dealing with diverse interests and expectations
NAM Initiative to Accelerate the National Climate and Health Movement
Clean Energy Buyers Association
Innovation and Adaptation
Continuously staying abreast of emerging sustainability trends, innovations, and best practices requires proactive learning and the ability to adapt strategies and practices accordingly
SBIR and STTR Programs
Understanding the Circular Economy and What Hospitals Can Do to Grow It
Resource Allocation
Allocating sufficient resources, including time, budget, and personnel, to sustainably communicate progress, findings, and learnings can be challenging, particularly when faced with other competing priorities
The Green Print: Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care
