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WE ARE HIRING - Join our Team Today! | |
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Are you passionate about sustainability and making a difference in the health sector?
The Coalition is seeking dedicated individuals to fill three exciting positions:
If you're committed to advancing sustainable and climate-resilient health care, we want to hear from you! Alternatively, if you know someone who might be interested in one of the three positions please forward them this email.
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Healthcare procurement in the race to net-zero: Practical steps for healthcare leadership
Healthcare Management Forum
Assessing the greenhouse gas emission footprint of individual products and services in health care is challenging, but health care leadership can play a crucial role in emissions reduction by understanding and using tools and certifications that measure suppliers' environmental performance. By integrating environmental standards into procurement and supplier selection, health care institutions can significantly impact emissions by pressuring suppliers to improve their operations.
This article highlights the importance of the supply chain in addressing health care-related greenhouse gas emissions, providing an overview of tools to evaluate the carbon footprints of companies and certifications recognizing sustainability practices.
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Bringing forests to the city: 10 ways planting trees improves health in urban centres
The Conversation
Planting trees in urban areas significantly improves public health, especially in poorer neighborhoods.
Trees reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease, lower health care costs, improve air quality, provide cooling shade, promote healing, enhance mental well-being, and support physical activity.
They also help people sleep better, alleviate ADHD symptoms in children, and reduce crime rates. Initiatives like Trees for Hamilton and Canadian Health Care Forests aim to plant trees in health care facilities to bring these benefits directly to patients. Increasing urban tree cover to 30-40% is challenging but achievable and offers long-lasting health benefits.
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Coalition now a member of the Planetary Health Alliance | | |
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We are excited to have joined the Planetary Health Alliance, a consortium of over 400 universities, non-governmental organisations, research institutes, and government entities from around the world committed to understanding and addressing global environmental change and its health impacts. Being a member of the PHA represents our commitment to collaboration on some of the most urgent challenges of our time.
Learn more about Planetary Health science, solutions, and ways to get involved here. To stay updated about key Planetary Health research and opportunities, subscribe HERE to the PHA monthly newsletter.
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CMA dialogue: Communicating on climate change and health
Health professionals play a unique role in helping their communities understand climate change, protect themselves and realize the health benefits of climate solutions. To that end, we’re pleased to share the new resource from the World Health Organization (WHO), Communicating on climate change and health: Toolkit for health professionals.
To delve further into this topic, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is hosting a virtual session with the WHO on Mon. Aug. 19, from 12pm-1:30 pm ET to:
- explore how the toolkit can support effective conversations about the intersection of climate change and health;
- discuss strategies to adapt the toolkit to address the specific needs and challenges of Canadian health care professionals; and
- identify opportunities to increase awareness of the toolkit and other resources to strengthen advocacy initiatives around climate change and health.
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Introduction to sustainable health systems online course
The Introduction to Sustainable Health Systems Online Course, developed by CASCADES in partnership with the Royal Collage of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has officially launched!
This online course for people who work in the Canadian health system will introduce you to the relationship between climate change, health, and health systems; familiarize you with the concept of sustainable health systems; and get you thinking about how you might incorporate climate action and sustainability into your work while supporting system-level change.
The course includes five modules and should take you about 90 minutes to complete. You can save your work as you go along, so you do not need to finish in one sitting; just log back into the system to pick up where you left off.
This course is accredited by the Royal Collage of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is available free of charge and in both official languages to anyone working in the Canadian health care system.
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Measuring and valuing the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation
The Lancet Planetary Health
A scoping review identified 267 studies on measuring and valuing health co-benefits of climate change mitigation, published between 2010 and 2023. The review revealed that most studies (87%) focused on near-term health benefits from reduced air pollution, with only 5% considering long-term health impacts of climate change mitigation.
Studies predominantly appeared in environmental science literature, using varied health measures and valuation approaches, often including monetary valuation. The review highlights the need for greater standardization and collaboration among public and planetary health researchers, epidemiologists, and health economists to create more comprehensive health co-benefit assessments.
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Climate change resilient health facilities: a scoping review of case studies in low and middle-income countries
Environmental Research Letters
Resilient health systems can mitigate climate change impacts but are also threatened by climate hazards that stress services, infrastructure, and workforce. Research on climate resilience is scarce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income ones. This scoping review identified 26 case studies in 46 countries on climate-resilient health facilities in LMICs, using literature from 2015 to 2022. It developed a model to guide resilience efforts, finding that while activities matched the WHO Operational Framework, there was little evidence of implementation or evaluation. Key factors for success include supportive policies, strong information systems, and community engagement. Improved climate finance and knowledge-sharing among health decision-makers are crucial.
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How can operating rooms be greener?
JAMA Network
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Operating rooms have not focused on environmental impacts. But a growing movement among surgical teams is trying to change that. The modern OR is energy-intensive, produces bags of plastic waste, and outputs substantial amounts of greenhouse gases.
Simple changes—from swapping anesthesia medications to reusable materials—could make a big difference. This short JAMA Network film features experts working to make ORs more sustainable in the hopes of inspiring others to make similar changes.
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Government of Canada’s New Canada Green Buildings Strategy: A Plan to Help Canadians Save Money on Their Energy Bills
Natural Resources Canada
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The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, introduced Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) to cut energy costs, create jobs, and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Buildings are Canada’s third-largest GHG emitters due to heating and cooling. The CGBS aims to retrofit 16 million homes and half a million buildings by 2050, and construct new, energy-efficient buildings.
Key initiatives include:
- Residential Sector: Programs like the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant will aid low-to-median-income households in adopting energy-efficient technologies.
- Commercial and Institutional Buildings: The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Building Retrofits Initiative will support energy-efficient upgrades.
- Federal Buildings: The Greening Government Strategy will target net-zero emissions for new federal buildings and major retrofits.
The CGBS focuses on affordability, job creation, and achieving climate goals.
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NRCAN's new RFP for public and private EV charger funding shaped by critical audit, new demand forecast
Electric Autonomy
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has launched a new Request for Proposals (RFP) under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). This initiative aims to fund EV charging infrastructure in public and private locations. The program offers up to 50% funding for projects, with a maximum contribution of $5 million per project.
The proposals will help expand Canada’s EV charging network, enhancing accessibility and supporting the country's zero-emission vehicle goals. The RFP is open until September 19, 2024.
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CleanBC launching funding program for medium- and heavy-duty EV charging stations
Electric Autonomy
British Columbia's CleanBC program has introduced $26 million in new funding to expand EV charging infrastructure, including 250 public light-duty fast-charging stations and facilities for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. This initiative supports the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Additional efforts, like the Commercial Vehicle Pilots program and the Commercial Vehicle Innovation Challenge, target the commercial sector to lower transportation costs and reliance on fossil fuels, promoting a sustainable transportation system in the province
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Version 9.1 of the RETScreen® Clean Energy Management Software platform is now available for download from the RETScreen website. This update has arrived with a number of salient new features to enhance the RETScreen experience!
One of the latest features is an automated Net Zero Planning Tool which further enables portfolio-wide decarbonization planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting – all available within one single multilingual platform. Learn more about the new tool HERE.
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EVENTS, TRAINING AND WEBINARS | |
CHES 2024 National Conference - Sept. 8th-10th | |
The 2024 CHES National Chapter Conference & Trade Show will be held in Halifax Nova Scotia on September 8th-10th.
Join us in Halifax for a chance to gain CEU credits with a fantastic program, visit an exhibit hall full of new information and innovation and mix and mingle with delegates from across Canada during social events.
Featured Keynote: Alan Mallory, CSP, MA(Psych), BSc, PE, PEng, PMP
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Have you registered as an organ donor?
Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Learn more and register to donate HERE.
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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change. www.greenhealthcare.ca | |
Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service. | | | | |
