Environmental stewardship efforts of Kaiser Permanente

Environmental impacts from the delivery of health care include carbon dioxide pollution from energy use, significant volumes of waste, and the use of products made with toxic chemicals. Yet, a commitment to total community health includes making the environment healthier. Kaiser Permanente has a long history of leadership and achievement in environmental stewardship, both as an element of good corporate citizenship and a component of preventive medicine. Governance and strategic direction for Kaiser's environmental stewardship activities are provided through their Environmental Stewardship Council. Kaiser has achieved successes in the areas of environmentally responsible purchasing, transportation systems, and green buildings, computing, and agriculture. This presentation will discuss Kaiser's efforts and barriers to minimizing waste, preventing pollution, conserving natural resources, reducing costs, and modeling responsible environmental practices in the health care industry.