Publications
Publications
- May 2023
- NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery
Decarbonizing Health Care: Engaging Leaders in Change
By: Vivian S. Lee, Kathy Gerwig, Emily Hough, Kedar Mate, Robert Biggio and Robert S. Kaplan
Abstract
Health care leaders are often surprised to learn that their operations contribute
significantly to a warming climate. In addition to their roles as responders to and victims
of extreme weather events, health care organizations have an obligation to reduce their
substantial greenhouse gas emissions as part of their overall mission to do no harm and
to improve health. Representing close to one fifth of the U.S. gross domestic product, the
health care sector can use its purchasing power to drive the transition to clean energy
and a low-carbon supply chain for the rest of the nation. Moreover, much of the shift
in focus to preventive models of care and safer, higher-quality care that reduces
unnecessary utilization will naturally produce lower carbon footprints. With the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022, nonprofit organizations can now use the new tax credit provisions
for renewable energy to support desired investments in buildings, energy infrastructure,
and transportation, among others. Health care organizations and their global value chains
can be influential and important catalysts for the journey to a net-zero carbon future.
Here, the authors share recommendations for how leaders can build climate-smart
strategies that take advantage of tax incentives and drive changes that can both energize
their employees and build a more resilient system to care for their communities.
Keywords
Health Care; Decarbonization; Carbon Emissions; Net-zero Emissions; Climate Change; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry
Citation
Lee, Vivian S., Kathy Gerwig, Emily Hough, Kedar Mate, Robert Biggio, and Robert S. Kaplan. "Decarbonizing Health Care: Engaging Leaders in Change." NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery 4, no. 5 (May 2023).