COP27: Shaping  Sustainable Healthcare

Representatives of countries from around the world have all now headed home, after attending the much anticipated COP27 conference. Held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 promised to tackle the globe’s most pressing climate challenges. Like COP26, this year’s conference highlighted the vital role of healthcare in addressing climate issues. COP27, however, went even further, with the World Health Organization (WHO) playing a key role. But how will what was said impact the healthcare landscape? And what does that mean for procurement?

What Was Addressed

According to the WHO, there were three main topics to cover at COP27. These were:

• Energizing health
• Accelerating access to electricity for healthcare facilities
• Developing warning systems and climate resilient healthcare.

The importance of electricity for healthcare was heavily stressed – specifically how many rural clinics function without it and struggle as a result. The WHO pushed for wider-spread electricity supply, as it will help to protect public health and minimize the most drastic effects of climate change. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to these effects; from drought that causes famine to earthquakes and flooding which directly impact people’s health. Therefore, resilient healthcare in these regions is imperative.

Climate Change’s Impact on Health

But it is not just rural areas that are affected by climate change. At the conference, the WHO highlighted that air polluted beyond their quality limits is breathed in by 90% of the world. It causes an estimated 7 million deaths annually. The 2022 Global Report of the Lancet Countdown produces another estimate, stating that air pollution was a factor in 4.7 million deaths in 2020, with 1.3 million of those directly linked to the burning of fossil fuels.

As well as an air-polluted planet, we are also living on a warming planet and this is already taking a toll. The Lancet Report has noted a two thirds increase in the number of heat-related deaths, over the past 20 years. Extreme heat is having the following impacts:

• Worsening existing conditions, like cardiovascular and respiratory disease
• Leading to heat stroke
• Negatively affecting mental health
• Causing an increase in the spread of infectious diseases.

Hotter months means an extended period of time in which mosquitoes can be vectors for the spread of various serious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and zika. Over the past 60 years, the number of months in which mosquitoes spread infectious diseases has increased in the Americas and Africa.

Plans to Make Healthcare More Sustainable

As the need for climate change resilient healthcare systems is evident, the healthcare sector is also looking at its own impact on climate change. At the COP27 conference, members discussed healthcare’s carbon footprint and steps towards sustainability. Healthcare has a huge role to play in slowing climate change. If the global healthcare sector was viewed as a country, it would be the 5th largest carbon emitting country in the world. More so than before, the demand on healthcare systems is ever increasing (Global Healthcare Workforce, Mark Britnell (2019)). This means that long-term sustainability changes in the healthcare sector have the potential to meaningfully impact global carbon emissions. 

Currently, G20 countries produce 80% of all the world’s emissions. COP27 called upon them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – which derive partly from healthcare. For instance, 4-5% of the UK’s emissions are a product of healthcare. Of these emissions, globally, health systems make up 40% of them. In September of this year, a total of 61 countries pledged to develop low-carbon and climate change conscious health systems. Last year, COP26 saw 50 countries make this commitment. The 22% increase shows how momentum is clearly building, as climate change becomes even more apparent. 

61 countries have shown commitment to introducing more sustainable healthcare systems. Healthcare sustainability goals are often incorporated into the countries’ wider sustainability plans. Although the specific goals and roadmaps can differ between countries, overall the goal seems to be to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

In the USA

Taking action, the USA has pledged to reduce their carbon emissions by 50%, before the year 2030. Prior to this, Biden’s government passed a “landmark” bill addressing climate change and healthcare. In it, the government set out a $396bn investment in renewable energy, aiming to reduce their greenhouse emissions. It has been estimated that this could reduce emissions by roughly 40%, by the year 2030. The bill is also intended to ease medical costs for US citizens. Biden recently experienced a productive midterm result, which some anticipated the bill could contribute to. The legislation’s success shows support for addressing America’s emissions output.

In the UK

The UK’s National Health Services (NHS) is also taking steps towards reducing the negative effects of its operations. They have developed a programme, Greener NHS, which is dedicated entirely to providing the world’s first net-zero healthcare service. It is focused on making healthcare more sustainable and reducing its environmental impact. The ultimate aim is to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, for those they directly control, and net-zero by 2045 for emissions influenced – coming from suppliers and goods. 

In accordance with their roadmap, from April 2022 onwards, a 10% net-zero and social value weight was added to procurements. From 2027, all suppliers they use will be required to announce their targets in regards to reducing their carbon footprint. Then, from 2030 onwards, suppliers will need to demonstrate progress towards sustainability, and continued carbon emission reporting through the Evergreen sustainable supplier assessment. In the next few years, this roadmap demands increasingly more sustainable practices and documentation and reporting in order to be a supplier for the NHS.

Sustainability in Tendering

COP27 has encouraged healthcare’s participation in countering climate change. With more commitments than the year before, and a general progression towards sustainability, the healthcare industry is changing. As a result, sustainability is due to become a larger part of the healthcare tendering processes, in the coming years. 

By providing a more efficient and transparent tendering process, as well as highlighting bids and tenders that have sustainability as a criteria, Vamstar’s AI-based procurement platform can play a vital role in moving towards net zero in healthcare. Utilizing value-based procurement (VBP), our B2B marketplace connects buyers with suppliers using value-based criteria. These criteria can include reduced carbon emissions, sustainable production or transportation methods. Thus, Vamstar can help healthcare providers work towards the goals that many of them have set out at COP27.

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