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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.
Please be advised will be closed starting December 24th and will be back in action on January 2nd. Thank you and have a safe and happy holiday.
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Join our Networking Hubs for 2025!
The Coalition offers a range of virtual working groups and networking hubs designed to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing in key areas of sustainable health care.
Our initiatives cover topics such as sustainable procurement, environmentally responsible prescribing, green food practices, and provides opportunities for health care professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and develop innovative solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Sign-up today and get a jump start on your 2025 journey towards sustainability.
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New Guidebook - Environmental Stewardship in the Intensive Care Unit
This comprehensive guide, developed thanks to funding from the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Implementation Readiness Fund, provides an overview of key actions that health system leaders can initiate to move towards a climate resilient, carbon-zero, and environmentally sustainable Intensive Care Unit.
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Become a Member of the Coalition | |
Become a member of the Coalition for 2025 and support a network of health care professionals, green health practitioners, organisations, students, and businesses dedicated to advancing sustainable health care practices.
For over 20 years, the Coalition has supported individuals and organisations in sharing best practices and meeting the growing demands for environmentally responsible health care. By becoming a member, you'll have access to a virtual platform that fosters collaboration, provides innovative solutions, and helps reduce the environmental impact of health care. Together, we are building a healthier, more sustainable future for Canada's health care system.
| If you missed our '2024 Year in Review' you can view the infographic HERE. | | |
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Welcome to our Advisors' Corner, where we explore what inspires our advisors to champion sustainability in health care. They share their insights on the most impactful changes the sector can make, as well as the barriers and opportunities on the path to a greener future.
Our next featured advisor is Caitlin Roy, Co-founder and Secretary of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy for the Environment (CAPhE), Co-Chair of the Regina Pharmacy Department’s Environmental and Wellness Committee, and a Clinical Support Pharmacist at the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) in Regina. With her extensive experience in clinical pharmacy and education, Caitlin is a passionate advocate for sustainability within health care.
Click the link below to read Caitlin's reflection on the importance of making health care more sustainable. She discusses the ethical responsibility of pharmacists to address health care’s significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, the optimism she feels from growing advocacy, and the need for a cultural shift toward sustainability in health care systems. Caitlin also explores the challenges and opportunities for improving sustainability in pharmacy and beyond.
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European Climate Resilient Health Systems Course
The Columbia Global Consortium on Climate and Health is offering a free certificate-based course!
The goal of this 10-week course is to equip health professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to prepare health systems for climate change. This includes how to apply best practices to assess health system vulnerabilities and adaptation options, measure and monitor the climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health systems, and undertake health system greening.
The course will run from January 28th, 2025 to April 8th, 2025 with sessions held every Tuesday from 6:00am-7:30am EST.
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Waste Auditor Training
A combination of lectures and workshops offers attendees hands-on experience through case studies, creation of audit plans, and development and application of auditing skills through table-top scenarios and situational exercises.
Participants also learn:
- Modern methods of performance measurement
- Methods of calculating waste reduction
- Realistic indicators of effective source separation programs.
The course runs February 25th to 28th, 2025. Registration deadline is January 31st, 2025.
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CCHL - National Awards Program | |
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The Canadian College of Health Leaders is inviting nominations for the 2025 National Awards Program.
The awards recognize the importance of leadership, commitment and performance. This is a great opportunity to recognize and promote the outstanding leaders and programs in your organisation. Award recipients will be recognized during the College’s 2025 Honouring Health Leadership event. The date and format of this celebration will be announced later this year.
Deadline for the Energy and Environmental Stewardship Award is February 1st, 2025!
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New report: Practical Guide to Building Climate-Resilient Health Systems
Health Care Without Harm
Published by Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe, this new resource aims to bolster health care systems against the growing challenges of climate change and serves as a vital roadmap for integrating climate resilience into health care planning.
It outlines actionable steps to ensure health care systems can adapt and continue protecting the health and well-being of communities across Europe
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New Guideline: Safe, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities
World Health Organization (WHO)
This new publication by the WHO provides policymakers, health administrators, facility managers and health practitioners with guidance on what is needed to develop safe, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities to provide quality care and withstand environmental crises. As the global environmental crises worsen, health systems and facilities must urgently respond to avoid being overwhelmed by the growing challenges and disruptions.
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Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society | |
The Canadian Anesthesiologists Society(CAS) has released a position statement on greening the OR by reducing harmful emissions, waste and cost.
CAS believes that all efforts should be made to reduce the impact of the health care sector on the environment while improving the quality of care. The position statement reviews key areas in which changes could provide direct improvements on harmful emissions and waste reduction.
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The Smart Commute Program, led by several municipalities and organisations across Ontario, facilitates sustainable commuting programs (e.g., carpooling, cycling, public transit) at workplaces to address traffic congestion, mitigate parking pressures, and help staff save on commuting costs.
This program offers incentives, resources and events to encourage sustainable commuting. The program is available for all workplaces in specific regions of Ontario to join, including the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), Sudbury, London, and Bruce County. Join the Smart Commute program to provide excellent sustainable commuting benefits to your staff.
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Why Hospitals Should Make Space for Wellness
Facilities Net
Incorporating wellness-focused design in hospitals enhances patient recovery, staff morale, and caregiver well-being while reducing costs associated with turnover and readmissions. Thoughtful environments improve productivity, patient outcomes, and CAHPS scores, strengthening community loyalty.
Although hospitals face budget constraints, investing in wellness yields strong ROI. Technologies like AI and robotics streamline operations, but maintaining human connection is crucial to fostering respect and care for all stakeholders.
Health care leaders must prioritize creating spaces that support physical, mental, and emotional health. This approach improves experiences, promotes sustainability, and ensures operational success in an evolving health care landscape.
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Weeneebayko hospital redevelopment breaks ground
Canadian Architect
The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority has launched a CA$1.8 billion redevelopment project to improve health care for remote Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario. A 445,000-square-foot health care campus in Moosonee will include private inpatient rooms, expanded emergency and surgical services, mental health programs, dialysis, and a long-term elder care lodge. A new ambulatory care center on Moose Factory Island will replace the existing hospital, providing emergency and primary care.
The project emphasizes collaboration and reconciliation, integrating culturally meaningful design through community engagement. Led by Stantec, construction is expected to be completed by 2030, significantly enhancing health care access and quality for the region.
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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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Ultra Processed Food: A threat to human and planetary health
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasglow
Date: January 29th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm-2:45pm ET
The vast health and environmental cost of ultra-processed foods is avoidable. These foods are harmful, damaging the environment and are unnecessary for human nutrition. Diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer and depression, among others. Reducing our consumption and production of ultra-processed foods is an opportunity to improve our health and the environmental sustainability of the food system.
Join this webinar and hear from influential speakers on the latest updates and potential solutions to the impact of Ultra Processed Food on planetary and human health.
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A call for change | Pharmacy, Prescribing and Climate Action webinar series
The CASCADES
Date: February 11th, 2025
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm ET
Join CASCADES for a one-hour session on the pathways through which pharmaceuticals enter the environment, focusing on the implications for patient health.
We’ll discuss how residues from medications can affect ecosystems and the potential risks to human health, particularly in vulnerable populations. We’ll also explore Canadian programs and regulations for the management of pharmaceutical waste.
CASCADES’ Pharmacy, Prescribing and Climate Action webinar series is designed to address the increasing challenges the pharmacy profession is facing and explore opportunities for change.
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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. | | | | |
