World Economic Forum “The Global Risks Report 2019” Zeros in on Climate-Change Led Events
…Six of the Ten Global Risks Tie Directly to Climate-Change
By John Strong
Look at almost any major healthcare supplier’s website, and you will find a tab about their sustainability and climate-change mediation efforts. Sadly, these efforts often don’t extend to some of the products they manufacture. Many of them continue struggling to see the market demand by healthcare providers for better, more sustainable products, with good reason. Development and marketing of such products could have a dramatic impact on healthcare’s footprint on climate change, but a business needs to see the positive return in order to change.
Reasons — or excuses?
We often hear all the “reasons” why a healthcare provider can’t buy something. All too frequently, a lack of knowledge on a particular issue or an aversion to change can be the culprit.
- There is a significant, and untrue perception in the market that green and sustainable products always cost more. It is simply not true. But, as an industry if we need to create demand on some of these better products in driving down the cost of manufacturer;
- “We have a contract.” Certainly, but when the contract is going to end, are you simply going to renew it? Of course not. Including the idea of better, more sustainable products in the evaluation process is important;
- “We just evaluated that product line and it is too soon to look at a different product.” Commonly heard, easily understood, but not helpful to changing the market for sustainable products; and
- There is a lingering perception that somehow more sustainable products don’t work as well as the old product. Again, this is always not true, yet the perception leads people away from considering better and more sustainable products.
At the same time, there is a dedicated group of providers who do care about sustainability, climate change, and chemicals of concern that continue to be incorporated in many products destined for the healthcare market. This is evidenced by the more than 1,800 provider members of Practice Greenhealth.
Providing healthcare in America is a dirty business
Our American healthcare system accounts globally for 10% of the carbon and production of chemicals leading to climate change. Our healthcare system alone has the same impact as the entire country of Great Britain!
If you care about “community health” you need to care about the industries impact on climate change
Healthcare providers are talking about “community health”, but the forces of change are going to make that task exponentially more difficult, if we, as an industry don’t change our purchasing, consumption and waste-disposal efforts, over time.
At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the forum again unveiled their “Global Risk Report 2019” for the audience1. Again, six of the ten risks are focused on the effects caused by climate change. They are found in the box below and they are ordered based on their likelihood of happening.
Risk # Risk
- Extreme weather events
- Failure of climate-change mitigation and adoption
- Natural disasters
- Man-made environmental disasters
- Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse
- Water crises
Prevention can be an answer too…
Healthcare providers rightly continue to be focused on preparation and readiness to cover almost any disaster, whether man-made, or caused by the forces of nature. As an industry, we must also focus some of our efforts on the prevention of climate change, and its impact on the planet. As the graphic above notes, the American health care industry accounts for 10% of the carbon and chemical releases that are causing climate change globally. That’s as much as the entire country of Great Britain!
Think about weather events just in the U. S. during the past year. A mega-tornado wiping out an Alabama town. Fires — then floods in California. Coastal flooding during full moons in Florida. A category four hurricane last season. What can we do to limit some of these events?
Who will lead if healthcare providers won’t?
If healthcare providers can’t lead by example to reduce climate change in this country, then who can? Every healthcare provider who is concerned about “community health” and “social responsibility” needs to act now to reduce their footprint leading to a warming planet. It is in everyone’s interest, and certainly the generations growing up now, and those yet to come.
Step up and be an advocate for positive change.
