Get Started

New to Climate-Resilient & Low-Carbon Healthcare?

Start Here

Healthcare systems and their services around the world are increasingly affected by the consequences of climate change such as extreme heat, floods, storms and infectious disease outbreaks and disruption of healthcare delivery. These impacts are expected to grow in frequency and intensity in the coming years (1).

At the same time, the health sector is responsible for around 4-5% of global greenhouse gas emissions -the main driver for climate change (2). This means healthcare has a critical double role:

Protecting health from climate events and their consequences

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

How can we achieve this?

Transitioning towards climate-resilient and low-carbon healthcare systems and services means strengthening service continuity, protecting vulnerable populations while reducing pollution and ecological/carbon footprint. On the long run, this contributes to improving overall health outcomes and reducing long-term financial and social costs.

Let’s start with a definition (3):

Climate resilient and low carbon health systems are those capable of anticipating, responding to, coping with, recovering from, and adapting to climate-related shocks and stress, while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts to deliver quality care and protect the health and well-being of present and future generations.

Have a look at the two resources below for a comprehensive overview of the topic:

The WHO Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems

The WHO guidance for climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities

These two documents are providing the following framework as a tool for building climate resilience and low carbon interventions in healthcare systems and facilities:

The Climate Action Toolbox for Healthcare is based on this framework. By using the filter options, you can find tools for each of the categories/building blocks (Climate-smart health workforce, financing, energy, etc.).

Transforming healthcare systems and their services into climate-resilient and low-carbon models had multiple, tangible benefits, for example:

improved service continuity during climate events,

lower operational costs through energy efficiency and reduced waste,

more reliable supply chains, enhanced staff preparedness,

reduced emissions leading to local pollution.

Take your first steps

Getting started can feel overwhelming – but every healthcare system or facility, regardless of size or resources, can begin taking meaningful action today. The Climate Action Toolbox for Healthcare is designed to guide you through a practical pathway that mirrors core stages of the climate & health transformation process:

Assessment: Produce baseline data and knowledge to understand current climate impacts, vulnerabilities, and emissions

Prioritization & Planning: Set goals and targets, prioritize, plan and budget climate actions

Financing: Identify and learn how to mobilise resources to support the climate transformation

Implementation: carry out climate mitigation and adaptation actions in key priority areas (service delivery, health workforce, products, etc.)

Monitoring & Evaluation: track progress and assess performance of climate and health actions

However, you don’t need to wait for a full strategy to begin. Some low-cost, high-impact solutions work in nearly all healthcare settings, such as:

Increase proportion of renewable energy sources

Improve lighting efficiency

Educate healthcare workforce on sustainable healthcare

Reinforce waste reduction and management

Service continuity planning

For more guidance on how to get started, see