2023-10-24 15:47:36
The goal should be achieved by 2040. The finished strategy should follow by mid-2024.
The health sector is responsible for seven percent of CO2 emissions in Austria. To ensure that Austria becomes climate neutral by 2040, Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) is developing the corresponding climate strategy for the Ministry of Health. The draft was presented to organizations from the areas of health and climate protection for the first time at a climate survey on Tuesday, and the strategy is expected to be finalized by mid-2024.
Approaches are planned for the use of medicines and medical devices, in waste and resource management as well as in the energy supply of health facilities, it said in a corresponding release. “The climate crisis has a dramatic impact on the health of many people. This makes it all the more important that health facilities set an example on the path to climate neutrality,” emphasized Health Minister Johannes Rauch and Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (both Greens) at the survey.
For each field of action, the initial situation, climate relevance, recommendations and exemplary practical examples were presented. Medical products and medicines, for example, account for around 38 percent of the Austrian health system’s CO2 footprint, reported the Ministry of Social Affairs. The recommendations for action here include, among other things, sustainable procurement criteria. Passenger traffic, which is caused by the healthcare system, accounts for around twelve percent of the healthcare system’s CO2 footprint; the expansion of digital healthcare offerings, for example, should contribute to reducing emissions.
With the “climate-neutral healthcare strategy”, the healthcare system in Austria will become a model for many other areas. Appropriate steps have already been taken with the “Consultation for climate-friendly health facilities” project, with over 300 health facilities being supported in the creation and implementation of an individual climate action plan, explained Rauch. In addition, the GÖG has developed two new funding channels: For hospitals and rehabilitation centers as well as senior citizens’ and nursing homes there will be “a very comprehensive package for the next few years that will support the implementation of energy efficiency measures”. The Climate Protection Ministry has provisionally reserved 350 million euros in funding until 2030 from energy efficiency funds from environmental funding domestically and has set up a special funding track for hospitals and rehabilitation clinics.
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