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A network of hospitals will be created to promote the diagnosis, sharing and implementation of energy efficiency solutions in Portugal and Spain, where emissions from the health sector are above the European average.
Portugal and Spain are joining forces to improve sustainability in the healthcare sector through the “Green Hospitals” project. This is a cross-border cooperation initiative with the aim of reducing the ecological footprint of health system hospitals in these countries, which continue to have greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions above the European average in the health sector.
According to the statement, in the first phase of the project an individual diagnosis will be made by each of the entities involved, in order to ascertain the current conditions of all those involved. In a second phase, innovative measures and technologies will be implemented in hospitals to achieve high levels of energy efficiency and reduce primary energy consumption and consequent GHG emissions.
The project involves a consortium of five Portuguese and Spanish entities, including the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), the ULS of Coimbra, the ULS of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the ULS of the Algarve, the National Network of Energy Agencies (RNAE), the Galician Health Service (SERGAS) and the Energy Agency of the Regional Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León (EREN).
“This project is the start of a transformation that will become key to significantly reducing emissions from the health sector. With this initiative we aim above all to raise awareness among the entities involved, and those interested in the subject, that the activities practiced by health institutions, especially hospitals, involve intensive energy consumption. Today, we have to think about the provision of care and encompass the reduction of energy use and consequent greenhouse gas emissions in the health sector.” explains Alexandre Lourenço, chairman of the board of ULS Coimbra.
Developed within the framework of POCTEP 2021-2027 – the cross-border cooperation program between Spain and Portugal, the project is based on a multidimensional approach, encompassing people, networks of entities, administrations and buildings.
“With this project we intend to contribute to increasing energy efficiency levels in various areas, including public infrastructures and hospitals. Its relevance is therefore in line with one of POCTEP’s priority areas of action, with a focus on implementing actions and projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”said Xavier Barreto, president of APAH.
“The health sector has been cited as an ally in the response to climate change, by providing health care to populations affected by the climate crisis. However, health institutions, especially hospitals, are also, albeit under-recognized, promoters of the problem. This is exacerbated by the fact that they operate continuously, their activities are energy-intensive and they have to constantly ensure safety and quality conditions. Therefore, the sector’s response will have to go beyond the provision of care and include a drastic reduction in the sector’s emissions,” says APAH’s website.
The “Green Hospitals” kick-off meeting, dedicated to the theme “Improving hospital sustainability for a healthier tomorrow”, took place on May 20 at the ULS in Coimbra.
She might have chosen to study Meteorology and Oceanography, but ultimately pursued Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wouldn't be the one to change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for the university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch tv shows, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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