Sign On Pledge to Decarbonize

Consider asking your health institution or society to sign the pledge to Decarbonize

On Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched an initiative in partnership with The White House to catalyze the health care sector to take climate action. HHS asked health care institutions to sign a voluntary pledge and commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and plan for climate resilience to protect the communities they serve. 

On June 30, at an event at The White House, the Biden-Harris administration announced that 61 of the largest U.S. hospital and health sector companies signed the pledge and committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. The White House and HHS have reopened the opportunity to make pledges by October 28.

To move additional health care institutions toward signing, we are asking you to write to your clinic directors, health care CEOs, or other leaders within your institutions and ask them to join the pledge. This is an opportunity to start a dialogue with your health care leaders at your practice, even if you have never advocated for this issue with them before. If you have worked on health care sustainability, this is an opportunity to urge your leaders to do more. 

Health Care Without Harm and the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health have drafted two letters and are providing several opportunities for outreach found in this document.