Environmental Sustainability Initiatives
Our Green Initiatives
Our mission is to build a healthy future for ourselves, our patients, and their families.
At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we believe environmental responsibility plays an integral role in our mission to provide extraordinary care where the patient comes first.
We meet all applicable environmental laws, regulations and environmental commitments through employee engagement, community partnerships and innovative solutions. We strive to continually improve upon our sustainability by balancing economic viability with environmental responsibility.
Our Mission
To build a healthy future for ourselves, our patients, and their families.
Our Vision
Sustainability—meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations—is about moving towards a broader societal transformation focused on community resilience, environmental health and justice.
We foster a culture of sustainability through:
- Energy and water conservation programs
- Proper waste management
- Responsible procurement of surgical and medical supplies
- Local and sustainable foods
- Green commuting options for employees
- Climate resilience infrastructure
We have eight focus areas within our sustainability program. Our goals are reflective of industry leaders, legislation from the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts, recommendations through our partnerships with Healthcare without Harm and Practice Greenhealth, and necessary enhancements to ensure we achieve our mission and vision.
- Climate: Reduce organizational emissions* by 50% by 2030 (from a baseline of 2016) and achieve net-zero by 2050.
- Engagement: Achieve a 90% employee familiarity and 5% employee leadership in our sustainability efforts and goals by 2025
- Food: Reduce food purchasing emissions by 25% by 2030 (Cool Food Pledge).
- Resilience: Develop and release a climate resilience plan for continuous operations by the end of 2023, anticipating the needs of groups in our community that experience disproportionate risk of climate-related harm.
- Responsible Procurement: Conduct an inventory of Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by end of 2024.
- Transportation: Reduce employee single-occupancy vehicle rate and vehicle miles traveled by 3% per year from a baseline of 2019 (with a cumulative goal of 15% reduction in 5 years).
- Waste: Achieve Zero Waste* by 2030
*Over 80% of non-hazardous solid waste diverted from landfill or incineration through reduction, reuse, recycling, compost or use of future technologies - Water: Maintain water use intensity reduction of 12% from baseline year of 2011.
We are a member of the following:
- Practice Greenhealth
- Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council Advisory Board
- Commitments: We are Still In & America’s All In Pledges, Department of Health & Human Services Climate Pledge.
The Climate and Human Health Fellowship trains physicians to examine and advance evidence-based policies that help build climate-resilient communities and health systems.
Learn More
In recent years, we have been recognized locally and nationally for our green efforts.
2020 & 2021 Healthcare without Harm Climate Challenge Champion
- Gold – Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Energy)
- Gold – Renewable Energy
- Silver – Climate Resilience
- Silver – Climate Leadership
This recognition acknowledges our commitment to reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint, while preparing for the impacts of extreme weather, as well as our dedication to promoting policies that protect public health from climate change while providing relevant education for staff and the public. These awards speak to our contribution to the global community of healthcare institutions bringing climate-smart transformation to healthcare.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional offices across the country provided recognition to Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers for outstanding accomplishments in preventing and diverting wasted food.
2016, 2020
- 2019 WasteWise Award Winner
- 2020 WasteWise National Data Award, Non-profit Organization
- 2020 Green Innovator Award
- 2021 WasteWise National Narrative Award, Non-profit Organization Category
Non-profit Organization, Partner of the Year: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized BIDMC for the best overall improvement in waste prevention and diversion activities when compared to the previous year; demonstrating innovative practices and tailored efforts to help prevent and reduce waste from going into landfills and incinerators.
This recognition demonstrates businesses' dedication to providing comprehensive transportation options for employees. By offering and incentivizing smart, sustainable transportation choices, these employers are reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and supporting strong local and regional economies.
2016
The Circles of Excellence from Practice Greenhealth recognizes up to 10 of the highest performing hospitals for each individual category of environmental performance.
Climate Award
The Climate category highlights visionary hospitals taking the lead on tracking and measuring carbon emissions and developing overall climate programs. Winning hospitals demonstrate an understanding of the health impacts of climate change and are acting to mitigate those impacts and educate their staff and communities on playing a supporting role.
2020
Leadership Award
The Leadership category honors hospitals demonstrating excellence in supporting a long-term commitment to healthier environments through a committee structure, reporting, data tracking, communication, and education.
2022
Waste Award
The Waste category honors hospitals that have excelled in waste prevention and material handling, as demonstrated through high recycling rates, low regulated medical waste generation and low rates of total waste generated per patient day. Winners of the Waste Circle are addressing all facets of the complex health care waste stream.
2022
Greening the OR Award
The Greening the OR category honors hospitals for leadership in implementation and innovation in the surgical department. Winners have demonstrated innovative approaches to waste minimization, energy conservation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from anesthesia, sustainable procurement, and clinician leadership.
2022
Green Building Award
The Green Building category is presented to hospitals that have demonstrated LEED and other green building achievements over the past five years. These hospitals emphasize policies that show a commitment to or even requirement of LEED-level construction standards for all major new builds or renovations. Their achievements include energy and water efficiency, safer materials, regional sourcing, integration of nature and other mechanisms to create high-performance healing environments.
2022
Practice Greenhealth's Emerald Award recognizes the top 20% of the highest-scoring applicants that are setting the standard in reducing waste, addressing chemicals of concern, tackling sustainable procurement and are achieving significant successes in a range of other programmatic areas. Winning hospitals have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and shown leadership in the local community and in the healthcare sector.
2020, 2021, 2022
This recognition from Practice Greenhealth acknowledges leadership in implementation and innovation in the surgical department. OR practices evaluated include: regulated medical waste segregation and clinical plastics recycling, reformulation of OR kits, single-use device reprocessing, use of reusable sterilization cases, and a range of other programs and associated metrics in their operating rooms.
2017, 2020, 2021
This award recognizes superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities. Winners have also made substantive progress on mercury elimination.
2018, 2019
The League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly Business Program recognizes businesses with impressive commitments to bicycling. The award is a four-year designation.
2016, 2019