White House event celebrates U.S. health care's commitment to address climate impacts
WASHINGTON (June 30, 2022) – At a White House event today, the Biden administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrated the progress and dedication of 61 of the largest U.S. hospital and health sector organizations, each having recently signed HHS’ Health Care Sector Pledge, expressing their commitment to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and increasing climate resilience.
Health Care Without Harm, an international nongovernmental organization, joins signatories from the health care sector. Health Care Without Harm’s affiliated network Practice Greenhealth works with over 1,400 hospitals, health systems, and health organizations, many of which have signed the HHS pledge.
Statement from Gary Cohen, Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth founder:
“With the support of HHS and the Biden administration, the U.S. health sector is experiencing unprecedented momentum to move toward climate-smart, resilient operations – transforming into a preventative model in which hospitals meet their healing mission more completely and serve as cornerstones of health, equity, and justice in the communities they serve.
This moment serves as an opportunity to elevate and leverage health care’s critical role in addressing the climate crisis and challenges more of our nation’s health systems and health care sector stakeholders to set ambitious sustainability goals and build climate considerations into the core of their operations.
Health Care Without Harm is pleased to be in the company of the many health care leaders that signed HHS’ pledge. We are also grateful for the participation in this pledge by members of our Health Care Climate Council and our Practice Greenhealth partners.
The innovative climate solutions and advocacy efforts implemented by these agents of change being celebrated at today’s White House event provide inspiration and support for broader commitments by the health care sector. Moreover, it has demonstrated that health care’s trusted voice and collective purchasing power can move policies and markets, and drive the transformation to climate-smart health care and healthier, more equitable, and resilient communities.”
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