The healthcare sector is facing a paradox in its approach to protecting life. While its primary principle is “primum non nocere” or “first, do no harm,” the sector itself is contributing to the climate crisis, which is having a devastating impact on human health. The global healthcare sector is among the top five carbon emitters in the world, with hospitals consuming large amounts of energy and water, relying on single-use materials, and generating vast quantities of waste. Every medical procedure, including surgeries, has an environmental footprint, with a single bypass surgery estimated to generate emissions equivalent to those produced by a small petrol car traveling 250 kilometers.
Climate change is already making people sicker, exacerbating respiratory conditions, affecting maternal and neonatal health, and disrupting care in vulnerable communities. The healthcare sector is not only treating the victims of climate change but also contributing to the conditions that create them. To break this cycle, healthcare providers must integrate climate responsibility into their work. Apollo Hospitals, for example, launched the Apollo Sustainability Action Plan in 2021, which aimed to reduce the hospital’s environmental impact. The plan included assessing the hospital’s emissions footprint, increasing the use of renewable energy, reducing waste, and implementing energy-saving projects.
The results have been significant, with 28% of the hospital’s energy now coming from renewable sources, and a reduction in scope one and two emissions. The hospital has also implemented sustainable procurement policies and reduced water consumption. These changes are not just cosmetic but fundamental to how healthcare is delivered in the future. A hospital cannot be considered world-class if it is not environmentally responsible, and no health system can claim to serve people if it contributes to the conditions that harm them. The climate crisis is a health emergency, and healthcare providers must take a leadership role in addressing it. By making sustainability a core value, healthcare providers can reduce their environmental impact and improve the health of their patients and the planet. As Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals, notes, “the work ahead is complex, but the intention is simple: to care deeply, and to do no harm – not only to those we treat, but also to the world they live in.”