Environmental sustainability in the healthcare industry

The report on the climate crisis published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at the beginning of 2022, which focuses on the effects of global warming, explicitly warns of the closing window of opportunity within which people can still prevent the worst developments. The healthcare industry also contributes to a large extent to global warming through emissions, among other things. In the following interview with Stefanie Brauer from Forum MedTech Pharma e.V. at Bayern Innovativ, you can find out how environmental sustainability can be increased in the healthcare industry and how measures can be implemented to counteract the impending developments.

Worldwide, the healthcare industry is responsible for around 4.4% of total CO² emissions. 70% of these emissions are generated within the supply chain. How does Germany compare with other countries?

Stefanie Brauer: A study by the organization Health Care Without Harm from 2019 compares different countries. It lists the total emissions caused by the healthcare sector and the per capita emissions. In terms of total emissions, Germany ranks fifth out of 68 countries surveyed, after the USA and China. In terms of per capita emissions, Germany is slightly better in 15th place, but this still represents total emissions of 57.5 million tons of CO2 equivalents.

What is currently being done in terms of environmental protection, particularly with regard to sustainability or the circular economy in the healthcare sector?

Stefanie Brauer: The industry is still in its infancy. There are some approaches and initiatives, for example in the area of sustainability, where attention is being paid to emissions in buildings and energy consumption in buildings. In Bavaria, these are the Green Hospital and Green Hospital plus initiatives of the Ministry of Health. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve greater sustainability, as the issue of hygiene plays a major role here. The use of disposable products is supported by legislation. The few sustainable alternatives are rare, usually difficult to identify and often more expensive. However, hospitals and municipal purchasing groups are bound by the principle of economic efficiency, which makes it difficult to justify the purchase of such products. However, various organizations have taken on the task of changing the criteria for purchasing products and are working to network and raise awareness in this area.

This now applies to Germany. Are other countries perhaps already further ahead?

Stefanie Brauer: One example of countries that have already made significant progress is the UK. However, the healthcare system there works very differently because it is tax-funded. Here, the state health organization - the National Health Service (NHS) - bears the costs and also sets central guidelines, as it has been doing for several years on the subject of sustainability, for example.

Are there any other reasons why the topic of ecological sustainability has played a rather subordinate role in the healthcare industry in Germany to date?

Stefanie Brauer: There are hardly any legal requirements or uniform standards that call for more ecological action. In addition, we have always had a very high demand for quality and a lot of regulation in the medical technology industry, which is necessary for patient safety. The healthcare market is also a closed market due to the Joint Federal Committee and the health insurance companies, as decisions are made on the entitlement to benefits and the reimbursement of treatments and procedures and these are then reimbursed. One could therefore ask whether this remuneration needs to change and whether treatment with more sustainable medical devices should be provided with a financial incentive.

What else can be done to encourage manufacturing companies and users such as clinics to take a closer look at environmental protection?

Stefanie Brauer: Sustainability should be seen as an opportunity for better products and an advantage in the market through a change in thinking. Cooperation between users and manufacturing companies must be strengthened in order to solve the challenges together. In addition, the range of sustainable alternatives must increase and clear labeling is necessary, such as the Blue Angel or various organic labels familiar from the consumer goods market. There is also a need for innovations, for example for more sustainable materials that meet high requirements in terms of function and hygiene, but which also comply with regulations. In addition, the price must be competitive and not be a reason for exclusion in order to anchor more sustainability in the healthcare industry.

Are there any examples of this?

Stefanie Brauer: Various clinics, for example, are tailoring the invitation to tender within the economic efficiency requirement so specifically that they can purchase a sustainable product. However, there are also companies that specialize in the reprocessing of medical devices or in the design to differentiate between reusable and disposable for reprocessing. The advantage of external reprocessing for clinics is that it solves the liability issue.

How can cooperation and networking between providers and users be strengthened by Bayern Innovativ?

Stefanie Brauer: Sustainability needs to be broken down into different subject areas and stakeholders in order to be implemented. We can provide support with this, but also with implementation. The MedTech Pharma Forum acts as a contact for the topic of sustainability, promotes exchange between stakeholder groups in the healthcare sector and offers further training and advice. We bring together the needs of the industry and introduce interested parties to political decision-makers. On the Medtec Online platform, for example, all interested parties in the industry can discuss sustainability in the group to drive the transformation forward. In addition, our specialization fields of materials and digitalization can also support the topic of sustainability as enablers, and the Enterprise Europe Network offers a free sustainability assessment for small and medium-sized enterprises, which companies can use to identify areas where action is needed.

The interview was conducted by Dr. Petra Blumenroth, Project Manager Technology I Frugal Innovation at Bayern Innovativ GmbH.

Listen to the full interview as a podcast: