A bold policy update demonstrates how health organizations in BC are securing the future of care through sustainability and climate resilience.
A Policy with Purpose
Providence Health Care and Vancouver Coastal Health have updated their joint Environmental Sustainability Policy, originally launched in 2007. Now titled Facilities Management: Low Carbon Resilience & Environmental Sustainability, the policy serves as a practical tool to guide how we plan, design, and build health facilities to embed sustainability and resilience into the core of health-care operations.
Leadership at All Levels
Creating sustainable and resilient facilities isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about the leadership and commitment of everyone involved,” says Mauricio Acosta, Executive Director of Facilities Management & Real Estate at VCH. “This updated policy strengthens our shared responsibility.”
The policy defines roles for leaders, managers, facilities teams, and staff, fostering a culture where everyone contributes to climate-conscious decisions.
One Policy, Diverse Applications
Geoffrey Martinson, clinical pharmacist at Providence shares:
What we’ve found in our pharmacy is that staff are environmentally conscious at home and want to bring that in the workplace. When we introduced the medication return program and new recycling streams for medication waste our staff have been very supportive and rallied around these opportunities to do our part for the environment.”
And Michaela Hoyseth, registered nurse, cardiac unit at VCH adds:
Together with my colleague Grace Kang, we developed a plan to address soft plastic waste. What began with one person collecting soft plastics on our unit and taking them to a recycling depot has grown into a collaborative effort involving the entire Cardiac department, Environmental Services and the Waste Management team. We’ve successfully launched a soft plastic recycling program that’s making an impact in our area, with hopes to see the program expand across the hospital in the future to further support sustainability efforts.”
A Foundation for the Future
With the updated policy, Providence and VCH have established a strong foundation for reducing emissions and waste, enhancing resilience, and advancing broader organizational priorities such as Reconciliation, Health Equity, and Planetary Health. This policy shows what’s possible when climate leadership is embedded into the heart of care.
As a mother, this policy holds great personal significance for me,” says Abhilasha Micheal, administrative supervisor with the Home-ViVE Program at VCH. “ I consider the world my kids will grow up in, the water they will drink, and the air they will breathe. Having a well-defined sustainability policy at work demonstrates that we are actually taking action to safeguard their future. I feel like I’m helping to create a better world for my family by being a member of an organization that prioritizes sustainability.”
