The 100% renewable electricity commitment group is a subset of a much larger group of hospitals and health centers, committing to take climate action through Health Care Climate Challenge. More than 178 participants, representing the interests of more than 17,000 hospitals and health centers in 26 countries, have joined the Health Care Climate Challenge since the Paris Agreement was signed, committing to reduce their carbon footprint, build resilience, and demonstrate leadership on climate change.
At the Global Climate Action Summit session “Health: Where Climate Change Hits Home,” Health Care Without Harm founder Gary Cohen and Kathy Gerwig, Health Care Without Harm board member and VP of environmental stewardship at Kaiser Permanente, announced these commitments as well as the launch of the new California Health Care Climate Alliance. Made up of five of California’s largest health systems, including Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, Providence St. Joseph Health, Sutter Health, and University of California Health, the Alliance will bring health care’s expertise, experience, and trusted voice to support climate-smart policies to protect public health from climate change and contribute to meeting the state’s climate goals.