The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care aims to build capabilities and capacity in individuals and organizations to enable the development of an environmentally sustainable, net-zero and climate-resilient health system. Paving the way for an ideal green community.
Health care is everywhere. From hospitals to community centres, health care is deeply integrated into different parts of the community. As we face this climate crisis, the health care system has the privilege and responsibility to lead the way towards an ideal green community. We can do this in 3 ways:
- Anchor institutions, like hospitals, can lead the way on sustainability and be a shining light for others in the community
- Health facilities and clinics interact with many parts of society and business. Our choices matter. We can choose who we buy from, and what we buy.
- Health care professionals have been identified as the most trusted of all professions. Health care professionals have the opportunity to provide community leadership in actions against climate change as well as in the adoption of technologies and practices that improve the health of individuals and the planet.
Elements of the Ideal Green Community
About Us
For over 20 years the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has been helping those working in health care facilities, non-governmental and governmental organisations, individuals, students and businesses to share green health care best practices and to become better equipped to deal with the growing demands placed upon them to be environmentally responsible health service workers and individuals.
Together with our Board of Directors, members, staff, Interns, volunteers and supporters across Canada, the Coalition provides a virtual platform for the sharing of ideas and resources; we lend support to those seeking to build a stronger, healthier and more sustainable health service delivery system and we strive to improve access to best practice information, innovative goods and services that offer a clear environmental advantage to users within the sector, and provide a venue for stakeholders to work together to reduce health care’s environmental impact.
Watch the video below to learn more about the Coalition.
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care traces its roots back to October 21, 2000 when 27 representatives from some of Canada’s largest health care associations and environmental groups met in Ottawa at an environmental educational day organised by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
Since then, the Coalition and its member groups have had a significant impact upon the greening of the Canadian health care landscape and have been involved in a very wide variety of local and national initiatives: mercury thermometer exchange events, the facilitation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) project with the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention, publications such as “Doing Less Harm: Assessing and Reducing the Environmental and Health Impact of Canada’s Health Care System,” the original newsletter “Coalition Notes”, the “Building Green Hospitals Checklist,” and the Coalition LISTSERV.
For over 20 years the Coalition has encouraged the adoption of resource conservation, pollution prevention principles and effective environmental management systems to reduce the Canadian health care system’s ecological impact while protecting human health.
To support sustainability leadership in health care, the Coalition has provided education and mentoring to organisations and individuals in many areas. Past programs include the Climate Change Resiliency Mentoring Project, the WAHA First Nations Energy Project, how to start a Green Team and the Green Health Leader’s initiative.
The Coalition is very proud of its longstanding affiliation with the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society and the eight year association it has forged with the Ontario Hospital Association that has resulted in the development and launch of the Green Health Care Awards, the Green Education Sessions held at the OHA’s annual HealthAchieve conference, and Canada’s first and largest green health care trade show feature, The Green Lane.
We would like to thank the following organisations for their support in helping launch the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care and for fostering green health care initiatives in Canada over the last decade:
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto
Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Cambridge
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2)
Canadian College of Health Service Executives (CCHSE)
Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES)
Canadian Medical Association (CMA)
Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
Canadian Society for Environmental Medicine (CSEM)
College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
Great Lakes United
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (HSC)
Ontario College of Family Physicians, Environmental Health Committee
Pollution Probe
RiverSides Stewardship Alliance
St. Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto
Women’s College Hospital – Environmental Health Clinic, Toronto
Toronto Environmental Alliance
University of Alberta Hospital
University Health Network, Toronto
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority – Laboratory Medicine Program
Resources
Vision: An Environmentally Sustainable, Climate Resilient, Net Zero Canadian Health System
Mission: To build capabilities and capacity in individuals and organizations to enable the development of green health policies and practices
Strategic Directions:
- Identify and work with change makers
- Measure impact
- Build networks of influence
Values: Commitment to public benefit - excellence and innovation - integrity - accountability and stewardship of resources
Overall Strategies: environmental stewardship campaigns, challenges, education, building and leveraging relationships and communities of practice
Want to support the Coalition? Join our Green Health Care Community and become a member! Learn more HERE.
News
2024 Health Care Climate Champions for the sixth year in a row!
Thank you to all members, supporters and collaborators for your help in achieving this amazing accomplishment. Cheers to another great year. Learn more about the awards HERE.
Preparing Canada's Health Care Buildings for Net-Zero
Made possible with an investment from the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Implementation Readiness Fund. Stay informed about upcoming networking hubs, resources, and opportunities to get involved HERE.
Healthy Capital: Sustainable Investment for Hospital Foundations
In partnership with the Trottier Family Foundation, PEACH, Quinn+Partners, and the Canada Climate Law Initiative, we’re excited to launch a project to build capacity in responsible investment strategies for hospital foundation boards. View the project page HERE (EN) and (FR)
Events
The Roadmap for Planetary Health & Sustainable Health Systems- July 17, 2025, 12:00 AM PT/ 3:00 PM ET
Join POWER for a landmark national webinar spotlighting over 100 Canadian hospitals that have phased out desflurane, a superpolluting anesthetic gas. This climate-health victory is just the beginning. We’ll explore how small, strategic interventions can catalyze system-wide sustainability, and lay the groundwork for Sustainable Healthcare Secretariats across Canada. Featuring Canadian and global leaders Dr Courtney Howard, Dr Anita Rao, Dr Margot Burnell, Dr Joseph LeBlanc and moderated by JP Toussaint from the Trottier Family Foundation, this session offers inspiration, practical insights, and ways to take action. Other speakers will be announced shortly.
Register HERE.
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We acknowledge and respect the Indigenous peoples and communities whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day, and on whose traditional territories our work takes place.
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