CommonSpirit Health seeks to reduce emissions at a lower cost

It’s installing new LED lights throughout various care sites, such as in this operating room at St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino, California, pictured at left.

And it’s flexing buying power to motivate supplier change. Approximately 70% of CommonSpirit’s emissions come from the supply chain. The health system worked with its vendor for IV bags to remove a chemical known as DEHP, which has been linked to causing male infertility.

It’s also teaming with its top 30 vendors to cut their climate footprint in half by 2030.

One tactic it’s avoiding, at least for now? Investing in credits to offset emissions.

“As a safety-net system committed by mission to the poor and vulnerable, as we get down that path, we will begin to make those decisions about carbon offsets,” Schlenker sadid. “But that money will be competing with other needs, whether that be charity care or access. We are going to do all of the hard work before we get to that point.”