Bloomberg Green Festival: Engaging leaders for climate solutions

[3 MIN READ]

In this article:

• Providence is proud to partner with and sponsor the Bloomberg Green Festival, which aims to collaborate on the innovative solutions needed to address our climate reality.

• We can’t do this work alone. That is why we are committed to collaborating with companies and communities to find ways to reduce our collective environmental impact.

• Learn more about Providence’s participation in the festival and watch some of the presentations below. 

With a large geographic footprint across the United States, Providence has seen the devastating impact of climate change in our communities firsthand. The situation is only getting more urgent every day – especially as the impacts of climate change disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities we serve. 

As a health care system, Providence has a responsibility to care for the health of our communities, and we recognize that healthy communities depend on a healthy planet. We are called by our Mission to serve all, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. Further, health care accounts for 8.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. That’s why we’re working hard to soften the impact our hospitals and clinics have on the planet. Consistent with our value of justice, Providence is taking bold action and embracing environmental stewardship.

Providence is collaborating with Bloomberg Green Festival because we all must work together to help each other reduce the impact we have on the planet. Partnerships are critical, and we’re excited to work with Bloomberg Media, Amazon, Alaska Airlines and Weyerhaeuser to host this climate action summit. While Providence has had success along the way – 89 Providence facilities are powered by 100 % renewable electricity and 30 of our hospitals were recognized this year by Practice Greenhealth for their environmental stewardship work – there is still a long way to go.  

Reducing climate dangers to vulnerable communities

Unfortunately, the climate crisis disproportionately affects communities of color, the elderly, children and other historically underrepresented communities through higher rates of climate-exacerbated chronic conditions, heat-related illnesses and more. At Providence, leveling this field is a matter of justice, which is one of our core values. That’s why we’ve made it a strategic priority to reverse this deadly trend in our communities.

Climate change can harm some communities disproportionately to others through:

• A lack of resources, including air conditioning, in historically temperate climates like the Pacific Northwest and lack of access to health care.
• Smoke and poor air quality, which are leading to more cases of asthma and other respiratory conditions in vulnerable communities.
• Systemic factors that make historically disadvantaged populations more vulnerable to health issues caused by a warming planet. 

Hear from Ali Santore, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Providence, on how the system is working to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure resilient operations during extreme weather.  

Watch the full video from the discussion at the July 2024 Bloomberg Green Festival here. 

Working to lower climate risks in operations

As businesses, leaders and local governments work to decrease their emissions, adapting their physical infrastructure – which can make up as much as 70% of a city’s carbon emissions – will be one of the biggest barriers to decarbonization. While challenging, these retrofits (while maintaining core operations) are some of the best opportunities to reduce environmental impact.

Providence led a breakout session at Bloomberg Green Festival to address how companies can plan for the process of retrofitting their facilities to reduce their emissions. Lauren Kiel, Bloomberg Media’s Global Head of Community Innovation for Bloomberg, addressed the following panelists:

• Donnel Baird, Founder & CEO, BlocPower
• Kara Brooks, Senior Associate Director, Sustainability, American Hospital Association (AHA)
• Jessyn Farrell, Director, Office of Sustainability & Environment, City of Seattle 

During this breakout session, panelists discussed:

• The need for retrofitting existing facilities to be more energy efficient.
• Industry requirements and government policies for environmental stewardship.
• Barriers to decarbonizing actively operating facilities.
• The role of data and technology in decarbonization.

Watch the full video of the panel discussion from the July 2024 Bloomberg Green Festival here. 

A commitment to our communities

Climate change is the biggest public health crisis we face today. But it’s also our world’s biggest opportunity to build climate-resilient institutions that ensure justice, health equity and safety for all. Learn more about Providence’s year-round work to combat climate change through these resources:

• Providence Center for Environmental Stewardship
• Environmental Justice at Providence
• Providence Climate Action Plan

Contributing caregiver

Ali Santore is the executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Providence.

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Related resources

Curbing the impacts of climate on health

Caring for our common home: Environmental stewardship at Providence 

Celebrating stewardship: Honoring Practice Greenhealth winners

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.