When we think about the major drivers of climate change, hospitals are rarely, if ever, top of mind. However, greenhouse gas emissions coming directly from U.S. health care facilities and their supply chains are higher than any
industrialized nation and have increased six percent over the last decade, even as many health care systems are pledging to reduce their carbon footprint. Understanding health care’s negative effect on the environment exists in opposition to their stated mission of care, Northwell Health is addressing this incongruity with policies and practices aimed at addressing their environmental impact.
From CEO Michael Dowling to the frontline staff, across its system, Northwell Health is prioritizing environmental social governance (ESG) strategies in hopes to be the model for other health care systems to follow.
“Health care organizations have a special obligation and responsibility to broaden their perspective beyond day-to-day medical care to pursue environmental justice and health equity for those suffering from chronic illnesses caused by pollutants,” wrote Dowling in a recent op-ed.
As Northwell’s commitment to reversing environmental damage and health disparities unfolds, Donna Drummond, Northwell’s chief sustainability officer, is uncovering opportunities big and small to reduce Northwell’s footprint. Her collaboration with Northwell Health’s clinical and administrative leadership helps identify opportunities for the health care giant to become more efficient. Then, by leveraging her expertise in expense management and analytics, she and her team implement programs that reduce waste and unwarranted variation plus eliminate excess cost.
Environmental Social Governance
Accountability Is the Key in Environmental
Social Governance
"As a leader in health care, it’s up to us to show how impactful waste reduction, recycling, awareness and other mitigation policies can be toward reaching our goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030."
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“A commitment to reversing the environmental damage we’re causing and health disparities that have existed throughout history must become a core part of our industry’s collective vision,” wrote Dowling. “The only way that’s going to happen is if there’s buy-in from the C-suite to fully embrace tangible environmental, social and governance strategies that will make a true difference in people’s quality of life. And make no mistake: governance is the engine ― and accountability component ― that drives ESG.”
Accountability in ESG begins with transparency. Reporting greenhouse emissions, though not currently mandated for the health care industry, is a start. By using existing corporate social responsibility (CSR) frameworks for reporting ― including the Global Reporting Initiative and the Carbon Disclosure Project― the health care industry can step out of the shadows and be a leader in ESG. The aforementioned Health Sector Climate Pledge, signed by Northwell and 60 other health care systems in June 2022, is another public-facing example of accountability.
But unlike other industries guilty of greenwashing, Northwell’s public pledges reflect an internal commitment to do better. From their executive committee on sustainability, led by CEO Dowling, to HR and corporate sustainability employees, to Northwell’s Green Business Employee Resource Group (BERG) ― which numbers 500 plus members ― Northwell practices what it preaches. The future of Northwell will include building green hospitals powered by solar arrays and sustainable energy sources, plus increased sustainability in the supply chain through locally sourced food and supplies whenever possible, and lastly, aggressively reducing waste wherever possible.
Today, Northwell’s public commitments include lowering electricity usage by 10% by 2027; increasing recycling volume to 25% of total waste volume by 2027; publicly sharing strategies for reducing on-site emissions; conducting an inventory of supply chain emissions by the end of 2024; developing and releasing a climate resilience plan for continuous operations by the end of 2023; and anticipating the needs of groups in our community that experience disproportionate risk of climate-related harm, all in service of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Despite all the progress Northwell has made, both Dowling and Drummond acknowledge the work of addressing Northwell’s impact on the climate is just beginning.
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Their latest goal to reduce emissions by 2030 as part of the White House Health Sector Climate Pledge is a further example of Northwell’s public commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions. But Drummond notes that Northwell has been consciously working toward reducing its emissions since a 2010 emissions mitigation pledge made with the EPA. In the last decade plus, Northwell has taken a three-pronged approach to reducing its emissions ― mitigation, resilience and leadership ― partnering with local providers and its staff, many of whom are passionate about climate issues, to create programs and raise awareness with greening in mind.
Northwell’s mitigation efforts begin with waste reduction. The amount of medical and traditional waste generated by U.S. hospitals is staggering. As a former accountant, Drummond sees huge potential in waste reduction to lessen climate impact. Waste reduction means everything from big moves like increased recycling across its locations and encouraging manufacturers to make more green-friendly medical supplies, to more localized efforts like streamlining preference cards in the OR to cut down on extraneous supplies and reducing non-essential diagnostic testing. Each action may seem small in a vacuum, but due to Northwell’s significant size, small actions add up to big results.
“Reducing variability can reduce waste and cost while improving the quality of care,” says Drummond. “Encouraging clinicians to share information to see where we can make individual changes ― when scaled up, these equate to system-wide changes that have impactful results on our footprint.”
Northwell continues to demonstrate resilience in the ESG space. Resilience in an ESG context means being prepared for the inevitable, whether it be the next major climate-driven storm or the next pandemic. By ensuring their facilities are ready to care for all patients and their families in times of crisis, Northwell stands as a barrier between our most vulnerable and any environmental disaster that may come. They proved this during the COVID pandemic and Hurricane Sandy and will continue to be there during whatever comes next.
While mitigation is a complex web of interlocking programs, and resilience is a health care organization’s preparation for coping with potential threats caused by climate change, leadership in ESG equates to accountability.
“The ESG journey is a humbling experience where gaps and shortcomings become glaringly obvious on an ongoing basis,” wrote Dowling. “But as the largest health system and private employer in New York, Northwell recognizes that we have a large environmental footprint and corporate social responsibility to do the right thing.”
Northwell’s ESG journey may be in its infancy, but major innovations are just over the horizon. As a united front that includes climate warriors like Donna Drummond and the many executives and providers committed to reducing its environmental impact, Northwell has the will and the resources to make a discernible difference on ESG issues for generations to come.
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