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Irreversible damage caused by climate change can only be prevented if companies initiate their journey to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. With enough CO2 <\/sub>emissions to make it the 5th<\/sup> highest emitting country in the world, it is imperative for the healthcare sector to act now and pioneer the transition to net zero. Without the support of procurement they would not succeed.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Addressing sustainability and climate change within Healthcare<\/h2>\n
Healthcare leaders globally recognize the need for embedding sustainability within their companies, with many establishing a sustainability roadmap and outlining initiatives. The targets are more ambitious in comparison to other industries, with many companies\u00a0looking to reduce all scope GHG emissions by >40% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2045. Novo Nordisk stands out as a frontrunner, looking to achieve a target of net zero across scopes 1 and 2 by 2030 already. Strategic partnerships between competitors are being formed to tackle the issues collaboratively and work towards the ambitious target, with the likes of the Sustainable Market Initiative Health Systems Task Force<\/strong> established. The collaborative approach and willingness to change has enabled healthcare leaders to define initiatives such as renewable energy utilization, circular economy implementation, consumption reduction and more.<\/p>\nHealthcare challenges to achieve net zero<\/h3>\n
Although the industry is already a step forward, there are still quite a few challenges to achieve the ambitious targets. Due to the size of the value chain, data gaps can exist making it difficult to baseline emissions<\/strong> accurately and limits data-driven decision making. The healthcare sector is also heavily regulated<\/strong>, which may lead to difficulties and delays in decarbonization initiative implementation if patients may be put at a risk. Finally, as with most transformations there is a balance between complexity and cost of implementation<\/strong>. To become truly carbon neutral efficiently and effectively will require meticulous planning, else may pose a risk of high investment cost requirements.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>