Shin Edward D, Hemstreet Rame, Alexeeff Stacey, Wadwa Seema S, Rana Jamal S
Department of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Medical Center, Oakland, California.
Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Califronia.
AJPM Focus. 2025 Jun 6;4(4):100377. doi: 10.1016/j.focus.2025.100377. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Anthropogenic climate change, according to the WHO, results in approximately 150,000 deaths annually through mechanisms such as heat-related mortality, altered food production, and the spread of infectious diseases. With climate change predicted to cause over half a million climate-related deaths by 2050, healthcare systems, which contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, must adopt roles in environmental stewardship.
This descriptive case study details how Kaiser Permanente, a large nonprofit organization, became the first carbon-neutral healthcare system in the country.
Kaiser Permanente has demonstrated environmental stewardship through initiatives such as an on-site solar program, sustainability scorecards for suppliers, and extensive partnerships with organizations to support community health and environmental building efforts. Initiatives included scaling renewable energy usage, constructing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified facilities, and reducing water use intensity led to Kaiser Permanente being the first carbon-neutral health system in the country.
The WHO has declared climate change as the most significant threat to human health. Kaiser Permanente's journey to carbon neutrality highlights the critical role healthcare systems play in environmental stewardship. Continued focus on climate initiatives by the healthcare sector is essential to address the growing health impacts of climate change. Kaiser Permanente's efforts provide a real-life and practical framework for achieving significant positive climate effects.
根据世界卫生组织的说法，人为气候变化每年通过与高温相关的死亡率、粮食生产变化和传染病传播等机制导致约15万人死亡。预计到2050年，气候变化将导致超过50万人死于与气候相关的原因，而对温室气体排放有重大贡献的医疗保健系统必须在环境管理中发挥作用。
本描述性案例研究详细介绍了大型非营利组织凯撒医疗集团如何成为美国首个实现碳中和的医疗保健系统。
凯撒医疗集团通过以下举措展现了环境管理能力，如实施现场太阳能项目、为供应商制定可持续发展记分卡，以及与各组织建立广泛合作关系以支持社区健康和环境建设工作。这些举措包括扩大可再生能源使用规模、建造获得能源与环境设计先锋认证的设施，以及降低用水强度，这些努力使凯撒医疗集团成为美国首个实现碳中和的医疗系统。
世界卫生组织已宣布气候变化是对人类健康的最大威胁。凯撒医疗集团实现碳中和的历程凸显了医疗保健系统在环境管理中所起的关键作用。医疗保健部门持续关注气候倡议对于应对气候变化对健康日益增长的影响至关重要。凯撒医疗集团的努力为实现显著的积极气候效应提供了一个现实可行的框架。
