Community

Spectrum Health Expanding Sustainability Goals: Carbon Neutral Facilities by 2040

April 22, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 22, 2021 – Spectrum Health recognizes that improving health means protecting the environment. Environmental factors such as allergens, air pollution and vehicle emissions contribute to health conditions like asthma, respiratory diseases (COPD and emphysema) and communicable diseases (West Nile virus).

To protect and preserve the health and well-being of people in the communities it serves, Spectrum Health is expanding its 2025 sustainability goals. In honor of Earth Day, Spectrum Health is committing that by 2040: All Spectrum Health facilities will be carbon neutral.

“At Spectrum Health, we recognize there is a strong interconnection between human and environmental health. To deliver on our mission to improve health, inspire hope and save lives, we purposefully chose sustainability goals that make a positive impact on people, our environment and the economic health of the communities we serve,” said Tina Freese Decker, President & CEO, Spectrum Health.

Spectrum Health’s new 2040 Commitment represents a long-term investment in improving the local, regional and global environment, and reflects the organization’s long-standing commitment to improving community health.

By 2025, Spectrum Health aims to:

  • Convert 70% of its vehicles to hybrid or electric power
  • Compost or reprocess 40% of waste
  • Buy 25% of food products from local sources
  • Reduce energy use by 15%
  • Double 2020 purchases from minority-owned and women-owned businesses in Michigan communities. Linked to our anti-racism pledge, this helps build wealth within local communities of color and resiliency in our supply chain.

Research estimates that, as an industry, health care contributes 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Since the 1990s, Spectrum Health has been working to improve individual and community well-being by minimizing its carbon footprint. Spectrum Health is integrating sustainability into its design specifications and reducing energy demands systemwide. “We are proud to take these next steps,” said Freese Decker.

About Spectrum Health

Spectrum Health is a  not-for-profit health system that provides care and coverage, comprising31,000+ team members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital), a robust network of care facilities, teams of nationally recognized doctors and providers, and the nation’s third-largest provider-sponsored health plan, Priority Health, currently serving over 1 million members across the state of Michigan. People are at the heart of everything we do. Locally governed and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are focused on our mission: to improve health, inspire hope and save lives. Spectrum Health has a legacy of strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Through experience, innovation and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness.

Contact:
Beth Cranson
Media Relations Manager
Office: 616.391.2603
Mobile: 616.540.0813
Email: elizabeth.cranson@corewellhealth.org

Tim Hawkins
Media Relations
Office: 616.486.6091
Mobile: 616.443.0361
Email: timothy.hawkins@corewellhealth.org