Philips helps healthcare organizations worldwide assess and mitigate their environmental impact while enabling better care and better care outcomes for more patients at lower costs.
Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, announced significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction results following collaboration with customers worldwide to assess and mitigate their carbon footprints, while also enhancing patient care and customer operational efficiency. Key achievements include:
- Jackson Health System (US): A 47% projected reduction in CO2e emissions by replacing legacy patient monitors, comprising 508-tons equipment lifecycle CO2e reduction and 177 tonnes CO2e reduction due to battery and paper savings.
- Champalimaud Foundation (Portugal): 24% emissions reduction per exam in its radiology and nuclear medicine department, to halve the carbon footprint of its diagnostic and interventional imaging departments by 2028.
- Rennes University Hospital (France): Opportunities identified to reduce annual emissions of the cath lab through energy savings and sustainable equipment upgrades.
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (UK): A sustainability blueprint developed for the trust’s ICU, focusing on waste reduction and energy efficiency.
“Good healthcare has to be environmentally sustainable, which means words and good intentions urgently need to be turned into positive actions. Philips is committed to co-creating solutions that drive measurable, impactful change. By working with like-minded action leaders around the world, sharing with them our expertise in sustainable healthcare operations, we are helping them to take critical and tangible steps toward a greener future, while at the same time enhancing patient care,” said Robert Metzke, global head of sustainability at Philips.
Examples of projects based on a comprehensive ‘360-degree’ holistic life cycle assessment (LCA) of a hospital organization’s sustainability, together with more detail about key results [1] include:
Jackson Health System (Miami, Florida, US)
Philips conducted a retrospective Life Cycle Assessment of patient monitoring at 3 of Jackson Health System’s hospitals revealing that by switching to the Philips monitoring platform from their previous provider, over 10 years, they may reduce carbon emission from patient monitoring by 47%. Data from the LCA assessment indicated that the Philips IntelliVue and EarlyVue monitors could help reduce the health system’s patient monitoring carbon footprint by 508 tons of CO2e across all facets of the lifecycle. Battery and paper savings reduced CO2e by an additional 177.1 tons. This significant reduction also eliminates the need for an estimated 420,000 disposable AA batteries and 6.5 million sheets of paper, allowing the health system to save $1.2 million over a 10-year device lifetime.
Champalimaud Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal)
In March 2023, Philips and Champalimaud Foundation, a leader in translational biomedical research and clinical care, entered into a strategic partnership aimed at halving the carbon footprint of Champalimaud’s diagnostic and interventional imaging departments by 2028. Potential reductions associated with equipment replacement and usage over the 5 years were calculated and a replacement plan was put into action. Based on a comprehensive LCA, the baseline carbon footprint of the existing imaging equipment was 2,175 tonnes CO2e. The collaboration achieved a 24% reduction in CO2e emissions per exam in the first year, primarily through EcoDesign equipment replacement and incorporating circular practices.
Philips is driving sustainable and equitable healthcare
Philips recognizes the link between human and environmental health, with healthcare systems responsible for over 4% of global CO2 emissions [2] and significant materials usage. As part of Philips’ broader ESG commitments, Philips is driving the transition towards sustainable and equitable healthcare to deliver better care for more people. The company has been carbon-neutral in its operations since 2020. All new product introductions are designed in line with the company’s EcoDesign requirements by 2025, and it aims to generate 25% of its revenue from circular products and services by 2025. Societally, it aims to improve the health and well-being of 2 billion people per year by 2025, including 300 million people in underserved communities, and 1 million workers in its supply chain.
