The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care (the Coalition) is proud to launch two new interactive toolkits aimed at helping health care facilities reduce energy and water consumption, utility expenses, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and give guidance to help health care facilities become more sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Hospitals are some of the most energy intense of all commercial or institutional buildings. It is estimated the Canadian health care sector as a whole spends approximately $2.5 Billion yearly on energy which is used for facility heating, cooling and ventilation, lighting, operation of diagnostic and treatment equipment, and food service.

Fifteen percent of this energy could be reduced following energy assessments and implementation of energy conservation and efficiency projects that could save the sector close to $400 million per year. 

GHGs emitted by health care facilities from the use of fossil fuels contribute to climate change. Statistics Canada reports that the heath sector emitted four billion kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent in 2008.

These numbers are far from insignificant and the Coalition's new toolkits and web resources can assist progressive health care facilities across Canada use less energy, reduce GHG emissions and improve the patient's environment of care by redirecting financial resources to infrastructure renewal to support treatment and healing options.

The Coalition's free GHG and Water Reduction Toolkit at www.greenhealthcare.ca/ghgwatertoolkit/info shows where reduced utility costs can generate new savings and help organisations meet their environmental targets through best practice checklists, GHG and water tracking, and awareness campaign materials.

Following expert review and stakeholder consultation, the GHG and Water Reduction Toolkit is the latest offering in a multi-year effort to assist the health sector in reducing operational costs and mitigating climate impacts. A series of educational webinars is also ongoing as part of this initiative, with participation from health care facilities across Canada. The resources provided by this effort represent the first cohesive data bank tying together GHGs, water and energy that is available and intended for Canadian health care facilities. As the health sector moves toward greater environmental awareness and operational efficiency, facilities are increasingly realizing the benefits of these leading practices.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of the Environment.  

With the launch of the Climate Change Resiliency Toolkit (http://greenhealthcare.ca/resiliency), the Coalition is offering the first interactive, online resource on climate change adaptation specifically designed for health care facilities in Canada, providing a pathway to adapt to the risks of climate change.

Included are questions designed to assist in determining an organisation's level of resiliency, referencing capabilities and risks related to emergency and facilities management, health care services, food service, and supply chain management. Completion of the site-specific assessment checklist by officials with knowledge and experience in these areas will increase awareness and inform future resiliency activities. Hundreds have already downloaded the print version of the checklist and its accompanying Facilitators Guide.

Coalition Executive Director, Linda Varangu, says "Many of Canada’s hospitals and long-term care homes have already experienced the impacts of climate change events on their facilities. These sites are responding accordingly to ensure their infrastructure is as robust and capable as possible to withstand events such as floods, ice storms, and heat waves that can compromise access to critical resources, the delivery of care, and the safety of patients, staff and visitors. Our new web portals and Resiliency Profiles are excellent resources to assist anyone tasked with preparing their organisation for future climate change impacts."

Funded by Health Canada's Climate Change and Health Office, and building upon work funded earlier by Nova Scotia Environment, the new Resiliency Profiles show how Canadian health care is responding to climate change and preparing to better meet future events that may impact the ability to deliver uninterrupted patient care. These profiles feature first-hand accounts of how severe weather incidents can disrupt the normal flow of activities at care facilities during times of calamity in our communities, and how facilities are readying themselves with resiliency in mind. 

Flooding, for example, has impacted numerous Canadian health care sites in recent years. Whether brought on by localized storms or rivers that overflow their banks during spring thaw, health care facilities still need to deal with the hazards and how they influence the provision of care. 

Learn about Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg (HSC) and its contingency plan ready for implementation should the Red and Assiniboine Rivers again threaten the city, and what the Regina General Hospital had to do to deal with recent elevated summer humidity levels that forced the closure of surgical suites.

The Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, also featured in the Profiles, chose to design climate change resiliency into its new emergency department and in so doing incorporated a number of measures that help mitigate risk in the event of an extreme weather incident. They share their story that includes LEED Gold design, heat recovery chillers, operable windows, a labyrinth for thermal storage, solar shading, high-tech self-adjusting window blinds, and extensive use of daylight harvesting to lower the need for artificial lighting.

"Island Health is pleased to have our Nanaimo facility featured in the new Resiliency Profile series by the Coalition," says Vancouver Island Health Authority's Director of Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Deanna Fourt. "We realize in future, the climate will be different and believe new construction is a perfect opportunity to both minimize our health authority's contribution to climate change as well as plan for and adapt to more extreme weather events that we will encounter. Given that the majority of Island Health's buildings are aging, we are also looking at the various tools and methodologies that are available for adapting our existing buildings including the Coalition's Health Care Facility Climate Change Resiliency Checklist."

These new Coalition resources will be of interest to those responsible for emergency or resiliency planning, physical plant operations, engineering and energy, food service, finance, purchasing, community health, compliance, security, and others charged with ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of service at their site. 

Anyone interested in sharing their health care organisation's climate change impact story, and possibly being featured in a Resiliency Profile, is encouraged to contact the Coalition.