The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care
Mission
To minimize the adverse environmental and human health impact of Canada’s
health care system.
Vision
Canada's health care system operates in an environmentally responsible
manner.
Goal
The adoption by all components of Canada's health care system - public
and private - of resource conservation and pollution prevention principles
and effective environmental management systems.
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is committed to encouraging
the adoption of resource conservation and pollution prevention principles
and effective environmental management systems, without compromising safety
and care, so as to protect human health and reduce the Canadian health
care system's ecological impact.
The Coalition works with health care organizations and facilities, health
care professionals, governments, non-governmental organisations, the private
sector and others to raise awareness of this issue and to increase the
capacity of health care organisations and their staff or members to address
this issue.
Key areas of concern are:
- raising awareness among health care staff at all levels about the
importance of providing health care in an environmentally responsible
manner
- increasing the knowledge and skills of health care staff at all levels
with respect to environmentally responsibel operation of the health
care system
- reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- reducing the consumption of renewable and non-renewable resources
- increasing the reuse and recycling of resources and thus reducing
solid waste
- reducing emissions of all forms of waste, and in particular the emission
of persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins and heavy metals such
as mercurylth care and promoting safer alternatives
- improving indoor air quality by promoting scent-free policies, the
use of low emission building materials, floor and wall finishes, and
equipment and reducing other sources of indoor air pollution
- promoting “green” and local purchasing policies
- increasing, where possible, the amount of green space and wild life
habitat in and around health care facilities
- ensuring that all health care facility design criteria include specific
reference to environmentally friendly design
- strengthening the requirements for environmental management in Canada’s
health services accreditation system
- advocating for the adoption of federal and provincial policies that
require the health care system to operate in an environmentally responsible
manner.
Coalition members to date are (in alphabetical order):
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention
Canadian College of Health Service Executives
Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Nurses Association
Canadian Public Health Association
Canadian Society for Environmental Medicine
College of Family Physicians of Canada
Great Lakes United
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Pollution Probe
Toronto Environmental Alliance/Health Care Without Harm
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