GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In honor of Earth Day, Spectrum Health has set a goal that all its facilities will be carbon neutral by 2040.
It’s meant to help protect and preserve the health and well-being of people in the communities the health system serves, according to a news release Thursday.
Environmental factors like allergens, air pollution and vehicle emissions contribute to health conditions like asthma, respiratory diseases and communicable diseases.
“At Spectrum Health, we recognize there is a strong interconnection between human and environmental health,” said Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Spectrum Health. “To deliver on our mission to improve health, inspire hope and save lives, we purposefully chose sustainability goals that make a positive impact on people, our environment and the economic health of the communities we serve.”
In addition, by 2025 Spectrum Health aims to:
- Convert 70% of its vehicles to hybrid or electric power
- Compost or reprocess 40% of waste
- Buy 25% of food products from local sources
- Reduce energy use by 15%
- Double 2020 purchases from minority-owned and women-owned businesses in Michigan communities.
Research from Yale University’s medical school estimates that, as an industry, health care contributes to 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
