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National Non-Profit Day - Consider Making a Donation
On National Nonprofit Day (August 17), we celebrated the organizations working to create healthier, more sustainable, and resilient communities—and the people who make that work possible.
For over two decades, the Coalition has been empowering health care professionals and organizations to adopt sustainable practices that protect both human health and our planet.
Together, we can help ensure Canada’s health care facilities become leaders in sustainability, resilience, and climate action.
Support our work and help drive meaningful change. Donate today to champion a greener, healthier Canada.
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New Guidebook Release - Environmental Stewardship in Obstetrics and Gynecology
The Coalition and PEACH Health Ontario is proud to introduce our latest guidebook for Environmental Stewardship in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
This guide supports OB/GYN teams in identifying opportunities to integrate environmental stewardship into clinical practice, reduce environmental impacts, and advance more sustainable approaches to care.
Guide made possible with an investment from the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Implementation Readiness Fund.
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Canadian Health Care Construction Course
The Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) is offering the only course in Canada designed to meet the unique needs of health care construction professionals.
This two-day, in-person course will address information on contemporary issues related to construction and renovation within the Canadian health care environment.
Upcoming 2026 Course Locations:
- St. John's, NL on September 23-24
- Winnipeg, MB on November 17-18
- Surrey, BC on December 2-3
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Workshop - Fundamentals of Sustainable Perioperative Care
Date: Sep 16, 2026
Time: 1pm-5pm ET
In this half-day workshop, offered by CASCADES and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS), participants will gain knowledge, develop skills, and forge collaborations that will help them advocate for and participate in the shift toward more environmentally sustainable perioperative care. Participants will hear from perioperative care providers on the front lines of sustainability efforts, and begin a project charter for a sustainable quality improvement project they can initiate in their own settings.
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Call for Submissions - Canadian Healthcare Facilities
The Fall issue of CHES's journal, Canadian Healthcare Facilities, is currently seeking article submissions related to the following topics: Facility Management & Design and Sustainable Healthcare.
If you are interested in submitting an article, please contact the journal's Editor, Clare Tattersall, at claret@mediaedge.ca with the proposed topic and a brief synopsis (a few bullet points or short paragraphs) outlining what you might cover, for consideration. The deadline for final article submissions is Thursday October 1, 2026.
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Nurses Join Other Health Care Professionals to Keep Planetary Health at the Forefront of Public Discourse
Canadian Nurse
The article emphasizes nurses’ critical role in advancing planetary health and responding to the climate crisis. It highlights how climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and environmental disruption increasingly affect human health.
Drawing on Canada’s Roadmap for Planetary Health and Sustainable Health Systems, the authors encourage nurses and health-care leaders to pursue education, establish green teams, integrate planetary health into curricula and practice, and advocate for coordinated government action.
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Normalising a Climate Lens in Two Canadian Provincial Health Systems: An Assessment Using Implementation Science
Science Direct
The study examines how health systems in British Columbia and Ontario are integrating climate resilience and decarbonisation through a “climate lens.” Drawing on 428 documents and 41 interviews, it finds that implementation depends on leadership, resources, accountability structures, and relationships.
British Columbia benefited from formal accountability mechanisms, while Ontario relied more on local leadership and networks. The study highlights staff capacity and collaboration as critical to sustaining climate action.
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Society Success Spotlight: Lab Wisely Savings Calculator
Choosing Wisely Canada
Behind every unnecessary lab test is time, cost, and effort. Using a tool from the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), labs can now measure that impact and identify opportunities to reduce waste based on Choosing Wisely recommendations.
This initiative was supported by Choosing Wisely Canada’s society grants, which provide funding of up to $10,000 to medical societies for projects focused on meaningful improvements in health care.
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Ask Why for PPIs
Choosing Wisely Canada
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are often prescribed for longer periods and at higher doses than recommended. Prescribing them only when indicated and deprescribing when unnecessary can lead to cost savings for patients and the health care system, reduce environmental impact, and lower the potential risks associated with adverse effects and polypharmacy.
This toolkit is designed to support prescribers and pharmacists in implementing effective interventions.
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Team Six Nations Impact Report
Nourish
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The Ogyǫhsraniyǫ́hsdǫh Project emerged from a clear message from the Six Nations community: a desire to reconnect with and access original Haudenosaunee foods. The Six Nations Department of Well-Being operates with a wholistic model that recognizes the full health of community members, clients, and program participants.
Food is central to health and healing. Their work aimed to reclaim food sovereignty, strengthen community well-being, and shift programs and services to reflect Haudenosaunee values and teachings. Team Six Nations’ aspirations spanned the full food system, from production to consumption, and from policy to sustainability.
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Strategic Energy Management Guide for Hospitals
Greening Health Care
Management and organizational factors are the biggest influence on higher performance in hospitals - even greater than age, hospital type and building systems.
This guide summarizes these findings and brings together energy management best practices from Greening Health Care’s most energy-efficient member hospitals. A practical survey has also been developed to allow you to compare your hospital’s practices against the guide and identify your areas of opportunity for improvement.
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Inside the Design of B.C.’s First All-Electric Hospital and its Zero-Carbon Ambitions
Journal of Commerce
B.C.’s first all-electric hospital is setting a new benchmark for zero-carbon health care in Canada.
The Quw’utsun Valley Hospital, which will replace the 60-year-old Cowichan District Hospital when it is completed next year, is certified under the Canada Building Green Council’s Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Design standard and it is targeting LEED V4 Healthcare Gold.
Full electrification was essential to meet operational greenhouse gas reductions.
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Hennick Humber Hospital's Annual Sustainability Conference: Advancing Sustainable Care
Connect with leaders driving change in health care sustainability!
Choose how you participate:
- Lean Certification Workshop (Dec 4, 1:00 - 4:30pm)
- Sustainability Conference (Dec 5, 8:30am - 4:00pm) to enjoy interactive talks, panel discussions, vendor expos, building tours, and a chance to win a new bike
- Attend both days and take advantage of a special bundled rate!
$50 per day OR $75 for both days
Be part of the movement toward greener, more efficient care.
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Choosing Wisely Webinar: Choose Small Tubes
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 12:00pm ET - 1:00pm ET
Location: Online
The STRATUS study evaluated whether the routine use of small-volume blood collection tubes (“soft draw”) could reduce RBC transfusion requirements compared with standard blood collection tubes in adult ICU patients across Canada. The findings suggest that implementing small-volume blood collection tubes in the ICU may reduce RBC transfusions without compromising laboratory accuracy and integrity.
This webinar will provide an overview of the trial and its implications in the ICU and beyond, real-world implementation considerations, and plans to spread this initiative to additional departments and hospitals in Canada.
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Nourish Webinar: Special Film Screening & Panel Event - Low Priority
Date: September 3, 2026
Time: 12:30pm - 2:00pm ET
Location: Online
Low Priority spotlights the resilience needed to navigate diabetes while experiencing homelessness.
A sequel to the groundbreaking short film, Low, the film delves deeper into how an overburdened health care system can create additional barriers for those navigating life-threatening health conditions while facing impossible odds.
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CHES 2026 National Conference
Date: September 20-22, 2026
Location: St. John’s Convention Centre, St. John’s, NL
The CHES 2026 National Conference brings together health care engineers, facility managers, and industry experts for two days of learning, networking, and innovation.
Coalition team member William Gagnon will be one of the guest speakers. Check him out at the podium and don't forget to visit the Coalition booth on the trade show floor!
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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.
| | 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. | | | | |
