Fundamentals of Sustainable Health Systems is a professional education program for frontline staff, administrators, and leaders within care delivery, professional, and support organizations with an interest in harnessing opportunities to achieve high-quality, low-carbon care.
Climate change is recognized as the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century (Lancet, 2018; WHO, 2015; UCL/Lancet Commission, May 2009). Canada’s healthcare system is a large, resource-intensive sector of the Canadian economy; it is responsible for at least 4.6% of GHG and 5.1% of carbon dioxide emissions annually (Eckelman, 2018; Pichler, 2019), and ranks second in per capita health system emissions globally (Lancet, 2020). While the sector dedicated to extending and improving our quality of life is a significant contributor to a phenomenon putting human health at risk, there are many opportunities for the health sector to develop and implement sustainability interventions that protect, promote, and prioritize health.
Through an interactive, transformative, and experiential Zoom session, participants will gain knowledge, develop skills, and forge collaborations that will help them advocate for and participate in a bottom-up and top-down shift toward a more environmentally sustainable health system. Participants must complete the prerequisite online course, Introduction to Sustainable Health Systems (self-paced; 90 mins), by February 5 to participate.
This course is offered online by CASCADES, which supports Canada’s healthcare community in transitioning towards high-quality, low-carbon, and climate resilient care. A certificate of completion will be awarded at the end of the course for those who complete both the introductory online course and attend the synchronous session.
As part of CASCADES’ core training offerings, this course is free of cost.