October 17, 2024- Ascension has released its FY24 Environmental Impact and Sustainability Report, highlighting the health system’s continued environmental leadership. Ascension’s FY24 report outlines the significant progress made in the organization’s ongoing efforts to minimize waste, reduce its carbon footprint, and address the impacts of climate change on the communities it serves. Ascension recognizes that as a major healthcare provider, it has a responsibility to drive environmental change, leveraging its governance, resources and infrastructure to create a positive impact.
FY24 Environmental Impact and Sustainability report details on the company’s commitments:
- Upstream: Ascension continues to improve climate resilience in communities through engagement and by advocating for policies that protect the vulnerable. By understanding climate-related health risks, Ascension helps educate communities and develop action plans to mitigate extreme weather events.
- Midstream: Data-driven initiatives help Ascension screen for social factors that impact health, such as asthma. By targeting social determinants, the organization seeks to lower preventable emergency department visits, particularly those related to climate conditions and environmental factors.
- Downstream: In a move to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Ascension successfully eliminated desflurane—an inhaled anesthetic with high global warming potential—from its formulary. This change is equivalent to removing over 10 million miles driven each year.
Future Commitments and Goals
The report also emphasizes Ascension’s ambitious goals for the future. By 2030, Ascension aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% and divert 50% of non-hazardous waste from landfills. Looking toward 2040, Ascension is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions and zero waste across all its facilities.
To read the full report and learn more about Ascension’s ongoing environmental efforts, please download the FY24 Environmental Impact and Sustainability Report.