Energy & Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability is Everyone’s Story

At Providence, sustainability is one of our Foundational Principles, as part of our Mission: Forward Strategic Plan. Achieving energy and environmental sustainability is a priority for Providence. To achieve this, in our environmental sustainability policy, Providence is mindful of the importance of developing a triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability: one that balances ecological, societal and economic imperatives, and recognizes the link between a healthy environment and a healthy population. As such, we recognize our duty to minimize our environmental impact through leadership and strategic partnerships, facility construction and operations.

How we are working towards environmental sustainability

The Energy and Environmental Sustainability team (EES) works closely with a range of departments across Providence Health Care to reduce health care's environmental impact, and to help improve the health of individuals and the communities.

Together, our purpose is to inspire and empower all we work with, to collaboratively enable systemic transformation, so that we can restore and regenerate the interdependent health of people, place and planet – now and for future generations.

In addition to our Environmental Sustainability Policy, collectively, we focus and report on the following areas in an effort to work towards environmental sustainability at Providence:

  • Climate Change: Move towards a climate-resilient health system and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in facility design and operations
  • Energy and Carbon: Reduce our carbon footprint by increasing energy efficiency and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, Food: Develop plant-forward, local, culturally relevant and equitable food service to advance food as medicine
  • Leadership and Innovation: Collaboratively, foster and culture of transformative leadership and innovation for environmental sustainability in healthcare
  • Materials: Choose materials and products that contribute to human and environmental health while avoiding waste and unnecessary chemicals
  • Transportation: Increase access to and use of transportation modes that reduce negative environmental impacts and benefit human health and wellness
  • Water: Minimize water consumption to reduce demand on natural resources and impact on our living environments

For more detailed information about what PHC is doing to work towards environmental sustainability, please check out our 2022 PHC Environmental Performance Accountability Report.

Our GreenCare Network

Founded by EES, GreenCare is a network that unites efforts within the BC health-care community to transform our health-care system toward environmentally sustainable and resilient care for healthy people, place and planet.

For more information and access to resources, stories and more, please visit the GreenCare website.

Questions?

If you have a question about environmental sustainability at Providence, please email info@bcgreencare.ca