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New Guidebook - Sustainability in Cardiovascular Care: A Toolkit for Developing a Greener Practice
This guidebook focuses on sustainable recommendations in three key areas: general cardiology, cardiac surgery, and procedural labs. Developed thanks to funding from the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Implementation Readiness Fund, this guide provides practical strategies to integrate sustainability into cardiology practices, from energy-saving initiatives to rethinking equipment use and procurement.
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Webinar: Building a Low Carbon Energy Toolbox for your Health Care Facility
Date: February 14th, 2025
Time: 9:00AM PT/12:00PM ET
Join the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care as we welcome Katelyn Poyntz, Director of Project Engineering & Energy at Unity Health Toronto, to share practical strategies for advancing low-carbon energy solutions in health care facilities.
Katelyn will guide participants on what to include in a low-carbon energy toolbox, tailoring it to your unique systems and equipment, and effectively pitching your project within your organisation.
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Networking Hub: Next Low-Carbon Energy Networking Hub
Date: February 18th, 2025
Time: 9:00AM PT/12:00PM ET
As part of the Coalition's Preparing Canada’s Health Care Buildings for Net-Zero project, the Low Carbon Energy Networking Hub aims to accelerate the adoption of low- and no-carbon energy solutions across Canada’s health care sector.
Join our monthly meetings, led by a Low Carbon Energy Advisor, to develop customized low-carbon energy plans for your facility. These sessions bring together health care professionals and experts to identify, prioritize, and implement low-carbon technologies and practices.
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New Project: Launch of new national campaign to reduce/reuse plastics in health care
The Coalition in collaboration with Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), has launched a new national awareness initiative to reduce and reuse plastics in health care settings - Circular Clinical Care: Reducing Single-Use Plastics in Health Care.
This three-year project is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Read the full Media Release below.
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Coalition Project Feature -
Healthy Capital: Sustainable Investments for Hospital Foundations
Hospitals champion health, and their investments can too. The Healthy Capital project helps hospital foundations integrate sustainable practices into their investment strategies, managing climate and financial risks while aligning with health-focused missions.
Have you ever wondered…
- How is my hospital foundation managing climate and financial risks?
- Are its investments exposed to floods, fires, or other disruptions?
- Is there a plan to align investments with health and sustainability goals?
We’re here to assist hospital foundations navigate these challenges. Learn more and download our one-pager at the project webpage below.
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Leadership Feature: Kent Waddington | |
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Welcome to our new series, where each newsletter will feature a key member of our leadership team! For our first feature, meet Kent Waddington.
Kent is a freelance environmental coach and communicator, and is a co-founder of the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, currently the Coalition’s Communications Director.
"Throughout the last couple years, the Coalition has had tremendous success in engaging a completely new roster of highly competent sustainability champions and health care-allied associations and groups dedicated to working collaboratively to establish a stronger, healthier and more sustainable health delivery system.
Our work on a variety of imperatives, including healthy capital, circular clinical care and single-use plastics, carbon reduction, climate change, zero-emission vehicles and micro-mobility, has propelled us to ‘top-of-mind’ amongst senior leaders, facility and energy managers, nurses, physicians, students, industry leaders and sustainable-minded individuals; all of whom recognize the importance of a healthy planet.
Today, more than ever, the Coalition is building robust networks of influence while providing resources and training for the widest possible audiences." - Kent
Keep an eye out for our next feature!
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Welcome our New Business Partnership: | |
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Medtronic is a global leader in health care technology. They believe that people can only live their healthiest lives on a healthy planet and aim to use sustainable business practices to minimize our environmental footprint by finding innovative ways to reduce their operational carbon footprint, cut their waste and water usage, and build sustainability into their products.
For more information on Medtronic check out their website HERE.
**If your for-profit organisation has made a serious corporate commitment to making health care more sustainable, reach out to autumn@greenhealthcare.ca
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Waste Auditor Training Course
Circular Innovation Council
The Circular Innovation Council's Waste Auditor Training offers a comprehensive learning experience designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to perform standardized waste audits.
Through a blend of virtual sessions and hands-on activities, attendees will learn about waste classification, data collection, reporting best practices, and how audits can drive waste reduction strategies. This training provides valuable insights for organisations looking to enhance their waste management programs and contribute to the circular economy.
Dates: Tuesday February 25th to Friday, February 28th, 2025
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PSPC Green Public Procurement Tool Info Session
Circular Innovation Council
Join the upcoming information session hosted by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the Circular Innovation Council to learn about the development of the Green Public Procurement Tool (GPPT). This tool aims to help organisations procure environmentally preferable and clean technology products. By attending, you’ll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback, influence ecolabelling standards, and gain insight into how the tool will impact procurement processes.
Upcoming consultations:
- Cleaning products (February 12th, 1-2:30pm)
- Lighting (February 18th, 1-2:30pm)
- HVAC / Plumbing (February 26th, 1-2:30pm).
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Greener remedies: Innovations that could help the health care system shrink its carbon footprint
The Toronto Star
In this article, Dr. Myles Sergeant, Executive Direct of The Coalition, provides valuable insights on innovative ways to reduce the health care sector’s carbon footprint. As health care accounts for 4.4% of global emissions, there is a growing push for sustainable solutions. Efforts include the development of propellant-free inhalers by leading pharmaceutical companies and the remanufacturing of single-use medical devices, such as electrophysiology catheters, which can reduce emissions by up to 60%.
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Social and nature prescribing: Considerations for health and environment
CASCADES
This playbook offers practical guidance for integrating social and nature prescribing into health care practices, fostering partnerships, and promoting high-impact programs.
Developed with the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, it connects health care, social services, and community supports for better health and well-being. The playbook provides background information and highlights how nature prescribing can yield significant environmental co-benefits.
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Projecting the overall heat-related health burden and associated economic costs in a climate change context in Quebec, Canada
Science of The Total Environment
Extreme heat, worsened by climate change, poses a significant health risk, yet the associated costs have been underexplored. This study highlights the need for a comprehensive economic valuation of heat-related health impacts, showing a dramatic increase in costs in the future, and emphasizes the importance of climate action and heat adaptation measures to reduce these growing burdens. By understanding the financial toll, policymakers and health professionals can better prioritize interventions to protect vulnerable populations.
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Start here: How NWT and NL are tackling the surprising environmental impact of anesthetics
Canadian Medical Association (CMA)
Climate change continues to threaten Canadians' health and access to care, with the health system itself contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is advocating for a climate-resilient, sustainable health system by pushing for reduced emissions across care settings, including the phase-out of the highly harmful desflurane anesthesia in jurisdictions like the Northwest Territories and Newfoundland and Labrador. This shift to safer, more eco-friendly alternatives like sevoflurane can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of health care and save costs, while inspiring further nationwide action.
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Version 9.2 of the RETScreen® Clean Energy Management Software platform is now available for download from the RETScreen website. This update has arrived with a number of salient new features to enhance the RETScreen experience!
One of the latest features is an automated Net Zero Planning Tool which further enables portfolio-wide decarbonization planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting – all available within one single multilingual platform. Learn more about the new tool HERE.
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Choosing Wisely Talks: Leading Lasting Change: Tackling Overuse in Hospitals
Choosing Wisely
Date: February 12th, 2025
Time: 9:00 am PST/ 12:00pm EST
This webinar will explore effective strategies for reducing overuse in hospitals and sustaining these changes over time. Attendees will hear from hospitals that have earned Choosing Wisely Canada Leadership Status, gaining insights into how they successfully engaged senior leadership, built improvement teams, and integrated Choosing Wisely as a core organisational priority, ensuring long-term impact on patient care and health care practices.
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Smart Lighting Solutions for Mercury-Free Compliance: Navigating Federal Regulations on Mercury Reduction
OECM
Date: March 12th, 2025
Time: 7:00 am PST/ 10:00am EST
Join this webinar to learn about Canada's plan to phase out fluorescent lamps by 2029 and the transition to mercury-free, energy-efficient lighting solutions.
The session will cover regulation timelines, market trends, and turnkey solutions, including LED retrofits and lighting audits, to help public sector organisations comply and save on energy costs.
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2025 Canadian Circular Economy Summit
CCES
Dates: April 17-20th, 2025
Location: Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montréal, QC
The Canadian Circular Economy Summit (CCES) 2025 is set to unite over 800 circular economy champions and trailblazing leaders for three immersive days of action-packed, in-person experiences.
From thought-provoking awareness and education sessions to hands-on workshops, site tours, and dynamic interactive formats, CCES 2025 will also feature exclusive business to-government and business-to-business opportunities. In alignment with the Circular Economy Action Plan for Canada, this year’s summit will focus on key drivers of success: information, collaboration, innovation, and investment.
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GlobalX Change 2025: The Future is Regenerative
GlobalXChange
Dates: March 11th - 13th, 2025
Location: Sheraton Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
Health care, like most industries, is increasingly contributing to climate change. Join hundreds of North America’s foremost climate and sustainability leaders to learn and connect all while moving the dial on the global clean economy. You’ll find the solutions, skillsets, and dollars needed to turn your sustainability challenges into opportunities.
On March 13th of the event, Dr. Myles Sergeant, Executive Director of the Coalition, will join experts from the Centre for Sustainable Medicine, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Trottier Family Foundation to explore collaborative climate action.
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Dates and Topics:
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February 26th, 2025 - Enrich Patient Experiences by Leveraging Technology and Utilizing Predictive Analytics
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March 19th, 2025 - Safety 101…According to the CSA Standards…You don’t know what you don’t know
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April 23rd, 2025 - Structural Upgrade of Pre-Code Hospital Building to Meet Modern Safety and Operational Standards
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May 21st, 2025 - CSA Z462 2024 Edition Significant Impacts for Hospitals
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June 18th, 2025 - Flooring & CSA Z8000 Canadian Health Care Facilities Planning, Design and Construction
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October 15th, 2025 - Infection Prevention and Control
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November 19th, 2025 - Improving Energy Efficiency While Saving Precious Real Estate and Reducing Operational Costs: How Wastewater Heat Recovery Helped Toronto Western Hospital Achieve All Three
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Have you registered as an organ donor?
Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Learn more and register to donate HERE.
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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change. www.greenhealthcare.ca | |
Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service. | | | | |
