The Economic Benefits of Greening

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada to expand its definition of sustainability to include environmental impacts. The letter highlights that the health care system represents 10 percent of Canada's economy and has a large ecological footprint, primarily driven by energy consumption. To demonstrate the economic viability of 'greening', the document provides several case studies of Ontario hospitals that achieved substantial financial savings through energy conservation, co-generation, and waste management programs.

• The Canadian health care system has a significant ecological footprint and environmental impact, representing 10 percent of the national economy.
• Energy consumption is the primary driver of a hospital's ecological footprint, with Canadian hospitals being significantly more energy-intensive than those in Europe; specifically, electricity use is nearly 6 times higher than in Switzerland and 2.5 times the average of compared countries, while thermal energy use is about 4 times that of Sweden.
• Beyond energy, the health care system consumes various resources and produces toxic wastes, including dioxins, disinfectants, mercury, and certain pharmaceuticals.
• Implementation of environmentally responsible practices in Ontario hospitals has resulted in documented cost savings: Norfolk General Hospital reduced its energy budget by 22% (saving at least $132,000 annually since 1995), and Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital saved over $200,000 annually via a co-generation plant with a 5-6 year payback period.
• Other Ontario facilities achieved efficiency gains: Pembroke General Hospital reduced gas consumption by nearly 50% between 1993 and 2000 despite growth in building size and patient load, and Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital reduced daily electrical consumption by 31% from 1991/2 to 2001/2, saving over $300,000.
• Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children achieved net savings of $453,000 over seven years through a waste management program that reduced biomedical waste volumes by 80% and increased recycling volumes by 78%, diverting 680,000 kilograms of waste from landfills.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2002). The Economic Benefits of Greening. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/4.The-Economic-Benefits-of-Greening-January-2002-1.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. The Economic Benefits of Greening. 2002. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/4.The-Economic-Benefits-of-Greening-January-2002-1.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=The Economic Benefits of Greening |date=January 2002 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/4.The-Economic-Benefits-of-Greening-January-2002-1.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2002economic, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{The Economic Benefits of Greening}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2002}, month = jan, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/4.The-Economic-Benefits-of-Greening-January-2002-1.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }