How are hospitals dealing with climate change?

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Deutsche Welle or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Hospitals globally are increasingly struggling to remain operational amid climate-driven extreme weather, such as floods, heatwaves, and wildfires
• In Nigeria, for example, recent floods have submerged hospitals, while telemedicine has emerged as a key solution for healthcare access in affected areas

🔭 The context: The healthcare sector faces both immediate threats from climate impacts and the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint, which accounts for 4-5% of global emissions
• Hospitals in India and the U.S. are adopting climate-resilient strategies such as solar power and rooftop farms to ensure continued service during emergencies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: As climate change intensifies, hospitals must not only adapt to serve their communities during crises but also contribute to reducing emissions
• Renewable energy and resilient infrastructure are critical to this transition

⏭️ What's next: Hospitals worldwide must embrace climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable practices, including retrofitting buildings to withstand extreme weather and cutting emissions through renewable energy use

💬 One quote: "Hospitals can enhance healthcare service delivery and positively impact patient well-being while contributing to climate change mitigation," – Lanvin Concessao, World Resources Institute India

📈 One stat: By 2100, over 16,000 hospitals globally could face shutdown due to extreme weather events if fossil fuel use isn't drastically reduced

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