Background

At the recent Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, Health Care Without Harm announced the commitment of 18 healthcare institutions from across the world to 100% renewable electricity. Representing over 1,200 hospitals and health centres, these institutions collectively care for over 23 million patients per year at facilities powered by 3.3 billion kilowatt hours of renewable electricity. When they achieve 100% renewable electricity, they will have reduced their aggregate annual greenhouse gas emissions by over 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂e), - equivalent to the annual emissions of 214,133 cars.

Renewable electricity not only significantly reduces carbon emissions, it generates long-term energy and cost savings, ensuring better energy security and cleaner air. Many resilience strategies also contribute to climate change mitigation strategies and vice-versa; a commitment to 100% renewable electricity covers both - moving towards more climate-smart healthcare.

Webinar outline

Organised by HCWH Europe with members of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) network, this webinar showcased a number of healthcare institutions in Europe who have made the 100% renewable electricity commitment. 

With hospitals, health centres, and health systems around the world leading the way by increasingly investing in solar, wind, and other sources of clean and renewable energy, HCWH Europe calls on other institutions and sectors to step up and raise ambition to protect public and planetary health from climate change.

This webinar was aimed at sustainability and facility managers of hospitals and health systems, municipal government and regional authority representatives, as well as renewable energy providers and policy-makers at all levels.

HCWH Europe will continue to work with hospitals and health systems through it’s Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) project to move towards 100% renewable electricity within the Health Care Climate Challenge and invited health facilities to join this webinar to learn more about how they can facilitate change within their institution.

Moderator

Viktor Jósa, Climate Policy & Projects Officer - HCWH Europe

Viktor’s involvement in environmental health roots from his youth engagement in the UN climate policy lobby. As a youth stakeholder in the WHO and UNFCCC processes he has developed an interest in the health aspects of climate change, which he strives to bring to the public by bridging the gap between young people and international policy processes through innovative tools. Prior to joining Health Care Without Harm Europe, Viktor worked as a junior consultant for WHO’s European Centre for Environment and Health on European health adaptation to climate change. He aspires to help raise the ambition of healthcare towards climate-smart solutions through his policy advocacy expertise and youthful drive.

Speakers

Nick Thorp, Network Director - Global Green and Healthy Hospitals

 Presentation: The Rx is 100% RE

Nick Thorp is the Network Director of Health Care Without Harm’s Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) project. In this role, he works with GGHH staff around the globe to engage members, build communities of support, and connect them to the tools and resources that can best assist them in achieving their sustainability goals. He has 10 years of experience in the NGO sector working on issues related to the environmental/public health and sustainability.

Eric Mimmel-Kortink, Manager of Real Estate and Medical Technology & Progamme Manager of Sustainability - Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc)

 Presentation: Radboudumc 100% RE

In his role Eric Mimmel is responsible for managing all real estate and the safe use of all medical equipment for Radboudumc. Previously he was active in senior and middle management role in the utility, building, and equipment industries. This broad technical experience comes together in the role of Progamme Manager of Sustainability, a function he took up next to his normal duties since early 2017. The 100% RE commitment is one of the milestones that programme has reached since the start in 2017.

Ole Gerner Jacobsen, Chief Consultant - Green transition at hospitals - The Capital Region of Denmark

 Presentation: Fossil free energy at hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark

Ole Gerner Jacobsen has extensive experience with green transition and change management in the public, private and NGO sectors. He covers areas such as strategy and planning, organisational development, governance, communication, environmental management systems, and green innovation. Ole is an Environmental Engineer with a master's degree in change management and the environment. For the past nine years he has been working with The Capital Region of Denmark and is currently Chief Consultant, responsible for an ambitious 2025 climate program at hospitals in the region.