HORIZON CARING NATURE

The healthcare sector is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions – 4 to 5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Because the healthcare system prioritises patient care, little attention is paid to environmental costs and energy savings in hospitals and healthcare facilities in general. As a result, projected annual GHG emissions from the healthcare sector are expected to increase significantly by 2050.

The CARING NATURE project aims to develop and test 10 innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the healthcare sector without compromising patient and staff safety. This 3-year collaborative project, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, involves 19 partners including health and care providers, universities, SMEs and industry from 11 European countries.

The CARING NATURE project is helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the healthcare sector by

• Reducing the environmental impact of buildings, waste and patient travel
• Increasing management capacity and staff commitment to this reduction

The outcomes of the project will be sustainable solutions for green health and care that are economically effective, affordable and acceptable to patients, citizens and staff.