Vizient, Inc. announced it has signed a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase its climate resilience as part of an initiative led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House.
The initiative challenges hospitals, suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and other industry stakeholders to build climate considerations into the future of healthcare.
It is estimated that the healthcare sector contributes 8.5% of total U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases. The voluntary pledge asks signees to, at a minimum, commit to: (1) reducing their organization’s emissions by 50% by 2030 and to net zero by 2050 as well as publicly reporting on their progress; (2) completing an inventory of Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions; and (3) developing climate resilience plans for their facilities and communities. It also asks them to designate an executive lead for this work.
“Vizient is excited to make this pledge and step up with other leaders from across the healthcare industry to reduce emissions and help HHS and the Biden Administration reach their climate goals,” said Patty Olsen, chief people officer at Vizient. “Reducing emissions is a key step in fighting the catastrophic impact of climate change and sustaining our planet.”
While Vizient is pledging to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases the organization itself emits, it has long been a leader in supporting its member hospitals to improve their utilization of environmentally preferred products in their facilities. Vizient recently expanded its Environmentally Preferred Purchasing dashboard that helps member healthcare organizations identify sustainable products within its contract portfolio. The dashboard allows users to evaluate the amount of their organization's purchasing volume that contains products without harmful chemicals or other environmentally undesirable characteristics.
