Clinical activity drives a meaningful slice of hospital emissions and cost. This post shows how to cut OR gases, pharmacy waste, and imaging energy while protecting outcomes and throughput.

Clinicians already balance quality, safety, and access. Adding sustainability shouldn’t add friction. The goal: same or better outcomes, lower waste and cost.

1) Anesthetic gases

• Sevoflurane & N₂O: small volume, outsized carbon.

• Protocols: low-flow techniques, N₂O stewardship, capture/abatement where appropriate.

• Metrics: bottles/cylinders avoided, tCO₂e, $ saved; show per-OR improvements.

2) Pharmacy & medication management

• Identify high-impact drugs (by spend and GWP).

• Reduce expiries with demand-driven par levels; enable return/reuse pathways where allowed.

• Track: wastage rate ↓, procurement $ ↓, tCO₂e ↓.

3) Imaging & diagnostics

• Optimize MRI/CT idle modes and scheduling to curb standby energy.

• Right-size utilization: clinical rules avoid low-value repeat scans.

• Track: kWh per study, $ per study, patient wait times.

4) Sterile processing & water

• Heat-recovery and cycle optimization reduce gas/electric and water use.

• Tie interventions to infection-prevention and instrument life.

5) Change management that sticks

• Co-design with anesthesiology, pharmacy, periop nursing.

• Dashboards per service line with $ per tCO₂e and safety indicators.

  
  

“Decarbonization is clinical quality work—measured in fewer leaks, fewer expiries, and fewer low-value procedures.”