Citing Local weather Disaster’ Danger to Public Well being and Trade, Well being Care Suppliers Reaffirm Accountable Enterprise Practices

June 7, 2023 /CSRwire/ – 5 main U.S. well being care methods immediately launched an open statement affirming their dedication to accountable enterprise practices that take the extreme public well being and monetary dangers of the local weather disaster under consideration.

Signed by Windfall, Boston Medical Middle, CommonSpirit, HealthPartnersand Hackensack Meridianthe assertion comes amid widespread efforts by a bunch of state and federal lawmakers to cross insurance policies designed to ban private-sector actors that account for these dangers. It’s addressed to policymakers and emphasizes that signatories are making enterprise selections that tackle local weather change as a result of it’s a danger each to public well being and to their potential to supply well being providers.

“Backside line: Local weather change poses a fabric monetary and public well being danger to your entire well being care sector. Simply as we tackle different dangers to our advanced operations, we are going to make long-term, climate-smart investments that restrict our publicity to local weather danger. We’ll improve our deployment of renewable vitality, put money into vitality effectivity measures, and be certain that our buildings and amenities are resilient,” the signatories wrote. “Rising proof signifies that these efforts yield important and wide-ranging value financial savings, lowered danger and elevated stability for organizations and the communities they serve, and improved company efficiency.”

The complete textual content of the statement is available here. It was organized by Well being Care With out Hurt and Ceres.

“Local weather change is a severe risk to public well being and the communities we serve. As a well being care chief Windfall is taking daring motion to scale back our local weather impacts by working towards turning into carbon-negative by 2030. As we advance our imaginative and prescient to construct a more healthy and extra equitable world, we make strategic selections to confront the local weather disaster, and we worth partnerships with authorities, companies, and organizations that improve our potential to take action,” mentioned Ali Santore, EVP, Chief Advocacy and Social Duty Officer, Windfall.

“Within the communities we’re privileged to serve, CommonSpirit Well being sees firsthand the devastating results that local weather change has on public well being and the financial system. We view enterprise practices that restrict these results — from adopting clear vitality to constructing resilient amenities — as a commonsense danger administration technique with clear monetary advantages. We’re proud to hitch with our friends to reaffirm our dedication to enterprise selections which can be good for public well being, for the local weather, and for the underside line,” mentioned Shelly L. Schlenker, MHA, EVP, Chief Advocacy Officer, CommonSpirit Well being.

“More healthy hospitals imply more healthy communities, which is why we’re dedicated to working our campus as cleanly as doable to attain our public well being mission. Our efforts to scale back greenhouse fuel emissions not solely assist to scale back the consequences of local weather change, however in addition they generate $10 million per 12 months in utility financial savings that now we have reinvested in affected person care. We now have no intention to alter these enterprise practices, and imagine that any interference would damage our hospital, our sufferers, and our group,” mentioned Bob Biggio, SVP Services & Assist Companies, Boston Medical Middle.

“Past our perception that addressing the environmental and social impacts of well being care’s operations is a part of our ethical crucial, rising proof signifies that these efforts yield important and wide-ranging advantages. This contains substantial value financial savings, lowered danger and elevated stability for well being care organizations and the communities they serve, in addition to improved company efficiency,” mentioned Gary Cohen, Founder and President, Well being Care With out Hurt.

The well being care leaders are simply the newest to hitch a rising variety of private and non-private sector voices championing the liberty to take a position responsibly, as policymakers throughout the nation — particularly on the state stage — transfer to limit monetary establishments from contemplating the financial and monetary dangers of the local weather disaster of their decision-making.

In March, greater than 250 corporations and buyers signed a statement to policymakers demanding that they shield their freedom to take a position responsibly; the checklist of signatories on that assertion has since grown to greater than 350. Greater than a dozen state and different public monetary officers who’re charged with defending taxpayer {dollars} and the livelihoods of pension beneficiaries issued their very own statement voicing assist for accountable danger administration practices. And, in Could, greater than 130 lecturers signed a statement supporting practices that shield buyers from the consequences of local weather change, water shortage, and different dangers that materially hurt buyers.

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit group working with essentially the most influential capital market leaders to unravel the world’s best sustainability challenges. Via our highly effective networks and world collaborations of buyers, corporations and nonprofits, we drive motion and encourage equitable market-based and coverage options all through the financial system to construct a simply and sustainable future. For extra info, go to ceres.org and comply with @CeresNews.

About Well being Care With out Hurt

Well being Care With out Hurt seeks to remodel well being care worldwide in order that it reduces its environmental footprint, turns into a group anchor for sustainability, and a pacesetter within the world motion for environmental well being and justice. For extra info, go to noharm.org and comply with @HCWithoutHarm.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin[email protected], 617-247-0700 ext. 214