An environmentally sustainable health care system

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment argues that the health care system has a moral, professional, and economic responsibility to reduce its environmental impact, noting that the sector represents 10 percent of the Canadian economy.

• The health care system's environmental impact is significant due to its economic scale, with the system comprising 10 percent of the Canadian economy and hospitals alone accounting for 1/30th of the GDP.
• There are ethical and professional imperatives for the health care system to reduce its environmental footprint, specifically the moral responsibility to 'do no harm' and the need for health professionals to model the environmental behaviors they recommend to others.
• Reducing environmental impacts offers pragmatic economic benefits, as lowering energy consumption, waste generation, incineration, and employee exposure to toxic chemicals saves funds that can be redirected toward patient care.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2001). An environmentally sustainable health care system. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.An-environmentally-sustainable-health-care-system-April-2001.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. An environmentally sustainable health care system. 2001. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.An-environmentally-sustainable-health-care-system-April-2001.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=An environmentally sustainable health care system |date=17 April 2001 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.An-environmentally-sustainable-health-care-system-April-2001.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2001environmentally, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{An environmentally sustainable health care system}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2001}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.An-environmentally-sustainable-health-care-system-April-2001.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }