Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global organization with a mission to reduce the environmental footprint of the health care sector. Its members include health professionals, academic institutions, and community groups. Through advocacy and communications, HCWH seeks to engage health care institutions in the fight against climate change. They also help healthcare decision makers understand the link between climate change and poor health. HCWH works with leading NGOs, government, and private companies to develop clean and safe technology.

HCWH aims to build an equitable, healthy world through climate-smart health care systems and policies. The organization is led by Gary Cohen, President of HCWH. HCWH has developed a suite of tools to help hospitals transition toward low-carbon health care delivery. In addition, HCWH advocates for a transition to renewable energy, healthier food, and clean water. HCWH also promotes an inclusive and diverse health care system by promoting dialogue and building partnerships across cultures, communities, and geographies. You are curious to know more about Health Care, go here.

HCWH has worked with more than 1,400 hospitals in the U.S. and around the world, delivering solutions to protect the environment, improve patient outcomes, and ensure health equity. One such initiative is the Cool Food Pledge, which aims to help hospitals save money, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and serve diners better.

HCWH has established itself as a leading voice on climate and health, and its work has led to a new social contract between health care and communities. As part of this effort, HCWH created the Healthy Food in Healthcare Program, which helps hospitals phase out meat raised with routine non-therapeutic antibiotics. It also works with hospital leaders to develop conservation actions, such as reducing water consumption.

HCWH is a member of Practice Greenhealth, a network of more than 1,000 health care organizations and more than 14,000 health care facilities. Together, they deliver environmental solutions to more than 1,400 hospitals and health care facilities in the United States.

HCWH has worked for 25 years to establish and implement ecologically sound health care practices. Their commitment to environmental health and justice has helped eliminate harmful chemicals, reduce the health impacts of air pollution, and create powerful change efforts.

Through partnerships with local, national, and international governments, NGOs, and businesses, HCWH has helped advance a variety of initiatives. They include the Impact Purchasing Commitment, which directs purchasing toward industries that produce safer products and businesses owned by people of color.

HCWH is a member organization of Practice Greenhealth, an innovation hub for scaled solutions in sustainable health care. Together, they operate with an annual budget of about $12 million. For more information about HCWH’s programs, visit their website.

Healthcare and its impact on the environment are a topic of growing concern. The effects of environmental degradation are often disproportionately felt by those who are most in need of care. Climate change is considered by many to be the greatest health emergency of the 21st century. If no further action is taken, the health care industry’s global emissions could triple over the next few decades. This could cause worse health outcomes, an unstable climate, and increased pandemic risks.