December 18, 2025

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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 our staff will be on holidays December 24th to January 4th. 

Thank you and have a safe and happy holiday.

Award Win - 2025 Climate Action Award

We are thrilled to announce that, for the seventh year in a row, we have been recognized as a Health Care Climate Action Winner in the Health Care Climate Challenge!

We stand with over 500 health care institutions from more than 50 countries, committed to advancing low-carbon health care, boosting climate resilience, and advocating for policies that safeguard human health and the planet.

Volunteer Opportunity - Health Care and Climate

The Coalition is looking for a volunteer to help develop an exciting new digital project focused on health care climate solutions.

You’ll support content organisation, testing, and improvement of a growing platform used by health care professionals across Canada.

Skills / tools (experience in some of the following would be useful):

1. Google Sheets
2. Basic databases (e.g. Supabase or similar)
3. Web platforms (e.g. Vercel, CMS tools)
4. Clear written communication
5. Interest in health care, climate, or sustainability

Remote, flexible, and high-impact.

Interested? Send a short note to get involved at william@greenhealthcare.ca

New Resource - Organising Sustainable Events and Conferences for Health Care: An Implementation Guide

The Coalition and PEACH Health Ontario are excited to release our new practical tool designed to help organisers reduce environmental impacts while improving attendee experience. This guide offers clear, actionable strategies for:

• Climate-friendly, plant-forward menus
• Waste reduction and accurate catering estimates
• Choosing sustainable venues
• Prioritizing health equity and inclusion

By embedding sustainability into every stage of planning, health sector events can lower emissions, promote equity, and lead by example in climate-conscious care.

CLIMATE ACTION

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector in Canada: Mind the gap

Healthcare Management Forum



Global commitments to achieve “net zero” health systems, including by the federal government in Canada, suggest a growing need to understand and mobilize capacity for GHG emissions estimation across Canada’s health sector.

This analysis highlights efforts by public sector health care organisations in Canada to estimate an increasingly broad scope of GHG emissions, building on longstanding efforts to report or reduce energy-related emissions from facilities. It also identifies why such efforts will not be sufficient.

Developing capacity for routine system-wide greenhouse gas emissions estimation can help Canada’s health systems to better understand their progress, including through international comparison.

The Health Care Plastics Tsunami and Charting a More Sustainable Path

Waste 360



The health care sector relies on single-use plastics more than almost any other industry, with disposables like gloves, gowns, and syringes seen as convenient and a way to help prevent infection. But the end result is spiraling volumes of discards – a waste stream that remains unchecked as the industry is largely exempt from regulations applied to other businesses.

The flood of spent medical supplies has steep environmental and financial consequences and heavily strains providers responsible for its disposal. But a new report asserts that strategies like substituting materials, reuse, and better collection and processing infrastructure could make a huge difference – potentially nearly halving associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

First global standard published to measure the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals 

The British Standards Institution



The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published the world’s first global standard offering a harmonized, practical framework to measure and assess the environmental impact of pharmaceutical products throughout their lifecycle. 

This standard was developed in collaboration with, and supported by, several ATACH members, including NHS England and the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force. 

RCP Green Physicians Toolkit

The Royal College of Physicians



The Royal College of Physicians has published an updated Green Physician Toolkit to help doctors embed sustainability into everyday practice.

It brings together evidence-based guidance and case studies to help you embed sustainable practices into everyday clinical practice and offers practical, evidence-based guidance - from prescribing low-carbon medicines to reviewing medications during heatwaves - to promote sustainable health care and protect patients from climate-related health risks.

FOOD SYSTEMS

Four pillars of sustainable food services in health care: a practical approach for leadership

BMJ Journals

Plant-based diets are well known for improving human health, but emerging evidence shows they can also play a powerful role in reducing climate impacts. With agriculture responsible for 10% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions—largely driven by animal agriculture—health care food services represent an overlooked opportunity for climate action.

This article explores how sustainable, plant-forward food systems in health care can cut emissions, reduce waste, respect diverse patient needs, and enhance quality of care. Drawing on CCGHC's and PEACH Health Ontario’s Sustainable Health Care Food Systems implementation guide, it highlights practical ways health care leaders can transform food services into a win-win for patient health and planetary well-being.

FACILITIES

Building Hospital Resilience in an Era of Extreme Weather

Healthcare Facilities Today



Hospitals are vital pillars of societal infrastructure, however, even they can’t resist the growing intensity of extreme weather events. These events test and put strain on their operability, making it especially difficult to function when their communities need them the most. Because of this, resilience then becomes an integral part of health care infrastructure planning. 

Expert Jennifer Mahan discusses the vulnerabilities health care facilities face during disasters and the infrastructure strategies that keep operations running.

Woodstock Hospital is Using Blood Wisely

Choosing Wisely Canada



Blood is one of the most vital health care resources, yet studies show up to 30% of transfusions in Canadian hospitals may not be necessary. At Woodstock Hospital in Ontario, leadership has long recognized the importance of responsible blood management. That commitment led the hospital to join the Using Blood Wisely program in 2020 to meet national transfusion appropriateness benchmarks.

See how Woodstock Hospital earned national recognition for improving transfusion practices through the Using Blood Wisely program.

EVENTS

From Data to Action: Measuring Health System Emissions

ATACH | WHO

Date: 27 January, 2026

Time: 9.30 - 11.00 CE

Location: Online


Health systems worldwide are stepping up to address climate change, but understanding and reducing their carbon footprint starts with accurate measurement. This webinar will introduce the new guidance on how to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in health systems, developed by co-leads of the ATACH Task Team, National Health Service England (NHS), Centre for Sustainable Medicine, National University of Singapore (CoSM), and World Health Organization (WHO), to support countries and health actors in their climate commitments.

The session will feature:

• Insights from NHS, CoSM and WHO
• Country experiences on implementing GHG measurement in health systems
• Interactive discussion on challenges, opportunities, and next steps

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how better data can drive low emissions health care.

Join the 2026 EV & Charging Expo

Date: April 8-9, 2026

Location: Toronto, ON

The EV & Charging Expo returns for its fourth year, bringing together 2,000+ delegates from over 900 organisations to advance zero-emissions transportation, charging infrastructure and large-scale electrification.

At the Expo, health care organisations can explore:

• Fleet decarbonization (shuttles, service vehicles, patient transport)
• Staff and visitor EV charging on hospital campuses
• Energy planning and infrastructure readiness to support sustainability goals

The Expo features:

• 100+ speakers sharing case studies and practical insights
• Test drives of commercial-ready electric vans, cars and trucks
• The Expo Hall, featuring charging hardware, vehicles, software and grid-integration solutions



Green Health Care community gets an exclusive discount of $100 off each Expo Pass using the code GREENHEALTH100 at checkout.

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 leading network dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability in the health sector. Guided by our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and equitable health system for all, we mobilize change-makers, build capacity, and deliver practical tools and strategies that drive meaningful action. 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.