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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care would like to wish everyone in our network a very warm and restful holiday season! We look forward to connecting with you in the new year as we work together to build an environmentally sustainable, climate resilient, and net-zero health system that benefits people and the planet.
Thank you and have a safe and happy holidays.
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2022 Green Hospital Scorecard Awards Presentation | |
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The 2022 Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS) Awards were announced Wednesday December 13th, 2023 at virtual award presentations held by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care. The awards recognize the outstanding achievements of this year's GHS participants
These award we made possible with the support of our partner Health Canada and our award sponsors Trane, Shift Energy, Roche, Ecotex, GE Healthcare and Better Battery.
This year’s awards honoured the top performing Canadian hospitals in Energy Efficiency, Water Excellence, Waste Management, Pollution Prevention, and Leadership. The hospitals with the best overall scores in their respective peer groups receive the Green Hospital of the Year Award.
Watch the recording of our virtual award presentation, access the slides and learn the award winners below.
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Green Hospital of the Year
Community Peer Group: Sechelt Hospital, Vancouver Coastal Health, BC
Academic Peer Group: Humber River Health, ON
Non-Acute Peer Group: Baycrest Hospital, ON
Small Peer Group: Four Counties health Services, Middlesex Hospital alliance, ON
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Water Excellence
Community Peer Group: Northumberland Hills Hospital, ON
Academic Peer Group: The Hospital for Sick Children, ON
Non-Acute Peer Group: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, ON
Small Peer Group: Four Counties health Services, Middlesex Hospital alliance, ON
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Pollution Prevention
Community Peer Group: Markham Stouffville Hospital, Oak Valley Health, ON
Academic Peer Group: Unity Health Toronto, ON
Non-Acute Peer Group: West Park Healthcare Centre, ON
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Energy Efficiency
Community Peer Group: Kootenay Lake Hospital, Interior Health, BC
Academic Peer Group: Teck Acute Care Centre, Provincial Health Services Authority, BC
Non-Acute Peer Group: West Park Healthcare, ON
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Waste Management
Community Peer Group: Northumberland Hills Hospital, ON
Academic Peer Group: Monfort Hospital, ON
Non-Acute Peer Group: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, ON
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Leadership
Community Peer Group:
Northumberland Hills Hospital, ON
Peterborough Regional Health Centre, ON
Academic Peer Group:
University Health Network, ON
Unity Health Toronto, ON
The Hospital for Sick Children, ON
Non-Acute Peer Group:
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, ON
Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, Sinai Health System, ON
West Park Healthcare Centre, ON
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User Profile: E-Bike Makes Vancouver Commute Fun, Easy and Inexpensive | |
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The Coalition has released our first user profile as part of our zero-emission awareness initiative which aims to increase public and industry awareness, knowledge and confidence in zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), particularly battery-powered micro-mobility (BPMM) solutions.
In this User Profile we profile Colin Chan, the Regional Leader of Sustainable Clinical Services at Vancouver Coastal Health, who proudly owns and rides a RadPower RadRunner electric utility bike on his commute.
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Hospital divestment from fossil fuels - does it make a difference? | | |
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If hospitals divest from fossil fuels, will it have any effect on the fossil fuel industry? Or will the industry continue to pollute as usual?
Divestment is effective because it shifts public opinion and weakens the fossil fuel industry’s influence on government and regulators. Health care voices are widely respected: if the health care sector takes a stand for not funding climate chaos, the public, the government, and other investors will take note.
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Call for Submissions - CHES Journal
The Spring 2024 issue of CHES's journal, Canadian Healthcare Facilities (CHF), is currently seeking article submissions related to the following topics: Technology & Innovation; Infection Prevention & Control; and Health & Safety.
If you are interested in submitting an article, please contact the journal's Editor, Clare Tattersall, at claret@mediaedge.ca with the proposed topic.
All topics must be pre-approved by the Editor prior to article submission. The deadline for final article submissions is Monday January 29th.
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Taking action on planetary health
The Taking Action on Planetary Health certificate program focuses on solutions that address the impacts of climate change on human health and ways we can improve the health of our communities as health professionals.
Working in teams, you will apply planetary health principles to a novel and practical planetary health intervention you can implement into clinical practice. You will join a community of health professionals committed to planetary health promotion and action.
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Canada in a changing climate: Synthesis Report
Natural Resources Canada
Over the last six years, Natural Resources Canada has worked with more than 650 experts from across the country on
the National Knowledge Assessment of how and why Canada’s climate is changing; the impacts of these changes on our communities, environment, and economy; and how we are adapting.
The release of the Synthesis Report marks an important milestone in the process, providing a concise summary of
current knowledge drawn from the five reports developed since 2017.
Building on foundational climate knowledge, it offers new insights to help inform the decisions and actions that are urgently needed in the present to ensure that we can survive and thrive in Canada’s changing climate.
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Climate action: A playbook for hospitals
Health Care Climate Council
Health care is on the front lines of climate change bearing the costs of increased illnesses, changes in disease prevalence, and the health impacts of more frequent extreme weather events. At the same time, health care operations contribute significantly to climate change and the very diseases it is trying to treat.
Health care organisations have a distinct leadership opportunity to address climate change by following a three-pillar approach to climate-smart health care.
This playbook captures how hospitals are operationalizing climate solutions – inspiring and encouraging hospitals to engage further in climate action while providing a path forward to achieving measurable progress and outcomes. The time has never been more critical for hospitals and health care to take action.
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Over 40 million health professionals demand bold health and climate action at COP28
World Health Organization
On the first-ever Health Day at a COP, more than 40 million health professionals from around the globe joined the call to action by the World Health Organization (WHO) and civil society organisations, to prioritize health in climate negotiations at COP28.
Climate inaction is costing lives and impacting health every single day. Health workers demand immediate and bold action to phase out fossil fuels, transition to clean energy, build resilience and to support people and communities most vulnerable to impacts of the changing climate.
They press for no more delays, no more excuses; urging action and justice now, for a healthy future for all.
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Dubai climate talks focus on health as Canadian doctors warn patients already seeing impacts
CBC News
A group of Canadian doctors are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week at COP28 to raise awareness about the impacts climate change is having on the health of patients and the health-care system.
The closure of the Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith hospitals this summer for several weeks in the Northwest Territories is the latest example of how climate change can impact medical services, said Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician in Yellowknife.
"Our entire hospital needed to evacuate this summer. So that 100-bed hospital required a military operation for us to relocate those patients with the help of people from multiple provinces in a health-care system that's already under strain," she said, in an interview with CBC News at the UN climate summit in Dubai.
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Also check out this cop28.com article which includes links to download the press release and fact sheet, for the signing of the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health. | |
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Cape Breton to get electric buses, with $54-million funding
Electric Autonomy
Cape Breton Island is one of Canada’s most iconic landscapes and, soon, visitors will be able to see a new addition to the dramatic coastal environment: electric buses.
Transit Cape Breton, which operates in and around Sydney, N.S., is receiving $54 million to purchase six electric buses, install charging infrastructure and refurbish its bus depot.
“Transportation is Nova Scotia’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and we need to change that,” said John White, MLA for Glace Bay-Dominion.
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Tim Hortons puts first electric trucks into service
Electric Autonomy
Tim Hortons is taking steps to transition its heavy-duty fleet vehicles to electric with the purchase of two Volvo VNR Class 8 delivery trucks.
The iconic Canadian coffee and restaurant chain is deploying one vehicle out of its Guelph, Ont., distribution centre and the other out of its Langley, B.C., distribution centre.
“We’re really excited to now have one of the first electric transport trucks of its kind on the road here in Canada and another coming very soon,” says Axel Schwan, president of Tim Hortons.
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Microgrids help build energy-resilient health care facilities
Healthcare Facilities Today
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Storms of all types can wreak havoc on health care facilities, especially with their energy supply. Worst case scenario: these buildings lose power completely. If severe enough, power outages can last for quite some time.
To counter this, having a backup power source is crucial to keeping a health care facility fully operational during power outages and their related disasters.
One option for backup power is microgrid technology, which enables a health care facility to essentially switch off from a main power grid in cases of blackouts or outages.
Microgrids also enable health care facilities to be resilient in the face of challenges such as extreme weather and worsening climates.
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Release of RETScreen® Version 9.1
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Version 9.1 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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EVENTS, TRAINING AND WEBINARS | |
Mobilizing health system sustainability through greenhouse gas estimation | |
An increasing number of health care organisations and health systems in Canada and internationally are working to estimate the full scope of their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), both directly and indirectly controlled.
In this session, speakers explore what organisations can gain from such efforts, while carefully considering the limitations of GHG emissions’ estimation as a tool for driving health system change.
This webinar is part of the Leadership and strategy for sustainable health systems series delivered by CASCADES; more details are forthcoming!
Date: February 15th, 2024
Time: 12pm - 1pm EST
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EV Innovation & Technology Conference 2024
We are thrilled to announce that tickets are on sale for the highly anticipated return of the Electric Autonomy EV Innovation & Technology Conference on February 7, 2024.
Register before December 15, 2023, to take advantage of the special early bird rate of $349 (regularly $389). Tickets are limited and include breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks and the networking cocktail reception.
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EV & Charging Expo 2024
Electric Autonomy's EV & Charging Expo, taking place May 1 and 2, 2024 in Toronto, is designed to enable organisations to make informed decisions and take concrete actions to transition to zero-emissions transportation.
It is also a meeting place to forge new connections and partnerships to accelerate change across industry sectors.
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RETScreen® is a Clean Energy Management Software system for energy efficiency, renewable energy and cogeneration project feasibility analysis as well as ongoing energy performance analysis.
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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.
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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. | | | | |
