As an essential part of the fabric of our communities, we embrace our responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the planet.

Our climate change plan outlines our commitment and strategic initiatives toward achieving environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Key pillars of this plan include:

• Environmental conservation.
  Through energy efficient upgrades, waste reduction strategies and adoption of renewable energy sources, we will reduce our carbon footprint and minimize environmental impact.
• Community engagement.
  Collaborative efforts with community partners help us foster a healthier society.
• Ethical governance.
  Our commitment to ethical practices includes transparent governance, responsible procurement methods and equitable patient care strategies that prioritize inclusivity and diversity.
• Financial viability.
  We plan to invest in sustainable technologies and processes that reduce costs over time and contribute to long-term financial stability that sustains quality healthcare.
• Continuous improvement.
  Our plan emphasizes the value of ongoing assessment, learning and adaptation to meet evolving sustainability goals and refine strategies.

Our sustainability pledge broadly addresses reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Specific projects include:

• Monitoring operation and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, transitioning to clean, renewable energy when feasible.
• Building new construction to federal LEED energy efficiency requirements, submitting for certification when possible.
• Exploring opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle, and adopting waste to energy strategies when feasible.
• Evaluating rooftop space for the addition of green roofs, cool roofs and solar panels.
• Identifying opportunities to reduce unnecessary medication waste.
• Setting thermostats at efficient temperature settings by season.

Carbon neutrality describes the balance between the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

It can reduce the impact of climate change and global warming, which are caused by a build-up of greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere.

Hartford HealthCare’s pledge solidifies work that earned us federal recognition from the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) in December 2023 for “public commitments to decarbonizing its operations and improving resilience in the face of climate change.”

We are among just 15% of hospitals in the country responding to the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge. The Hartford HealthCare Energy Management Program will establish best-in-class programs driving utilities for maximum efficiency. This will reduce operational costs, improve the environment and assure continuity of critical community public safety services.

The scope of the Hartford HealthCare commitment to sustainability is broad. Areas we will target include:

Energy	Green Buildings	Waste	Supply chain
Food	Tranportation	Pharmacy

We are proud to note that many completed projects are already making a difference in Hartford HealthCare’s carbon footprint. Since 2018, we have:

• Installed solid-oxide fuel cell technology at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
• Implemented trace chemo bags instead of plastic bins to reduce plastic waste.
• Changed our regulated medical waste vendor so waste is now locally and safely incinerated in a waste-to-energy plant.
• Implemented composting at two sites.
• Increased spending with diverse suppliers by 80%, totaling $192 million with 215 businesses in 2023.
• Founded the Food4Health Clinic, one of the first healthy food prescription programs in the country.
• Opened a hydroponic rooftop garden at Hartford Hospital in 2023 to grow produce for the Food4Health Clinic.
• Implemented Compass Group's state-of-the-art Waste Not 2.0 program to track and reduce food waste in 2022. Of the food waste generated in 2023, 58% was diverted from a landfill.
• Eliminated use of polystyrene system-wide in 2023.