Climate protection in healthcare? An inventory

11.05.2023 14:37

The viamedica Foundation publishes the results of the report “Resource efficiency, climate protection and ecological sustainability in the healthcare system – an inventory” (ReKlimaMed) prepared for the Federal Ministry of Health. It shows which sustainability measures have already been implemented in the healthcare sector, which advantages and obstacles exist and which outstanding lighthouses there are when it comes to climate protection in the industry. In addition, recommendations for action are given on how the topic can be further advanced.

The “ReKlimaMed” report shows that in the German healthcare system, too little has been done in the area of sustainability in many areas. There are only a few companies and institutions in all areas of the industry that implement measures for ecological sustainability and thus show what is possible.

Measures that were found in all areas include, for example, the introduction of LED lighting, the purchase of green electricity and the switch to e-mobility. Further measures were only found in individual areas.

When researching the report, it became clear that the implementation of sustainability measures has many advantages. In this way, energy, resources and therefore costs can be saved. In addition, the sustainability activities have a positive impact on public relations, especially when recruiting new employees.

The lack of anchoring of the topic at the management and leadership levels was identified as a key obstacle. Without this structure and without concrete corporate goals for ecological sustainability, the authors believe that there will continue to be little interest in the topic and there will be no time, money and staff for sustainability measures. The implementation of measures is also made more difficult by the lack of funding and complicated bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles.

However, lighthouses, i.e. active companies with outstandingly implemented measures, could be identified in almost all areas. There are also companies and institutions where individual, very committed people are significantly advancing the issue of climate protection.

The report is published on the website www.viamedica-stiftung.de/projekte/reklimamed both as a complete report and broken down into 15 areas of the healthcare system.
Results from the report at https://www.viamedica-stiftung.de/projekte/reklimamed