Leading The Charge for a Greener Healthcare Future at COP29

At the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) held at Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November, IHH Healthcare steps up to establish sustainability leadership in the healthcare sector. Recognising the healthcare industry’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, our participation at the conference reinforces IHH’s commitment to advancing greener practices across its global operations.

In the panel discussion on “Diagnosing Scope 3 Emissions in Healthcare: The Elephant in the Room” joined by the moderator, Amanda Zain, and fellow panellists Nick Watts, Maria Neira and Chris Gromley, Dr Prem addressed the complexities of managing Scope 3 emissions – from supply chains to waste management and operational processes. He also outlined key sustainability actions, including adopting solar power in our Malaysian hospitals, reducing single-use virgin plastics across non-clinical areas, and embedding waste management goals into our Balanced Scorecard.

“Our aspiration, ‘Care. For Good.’, is about more than just healthcare - it’s a pledge to create a healthier planet for future generations,” Dr Prem highlighted. Reflecting IHH’s approach to incremental progress, he added, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, we’ve identified strategic suppliers to collaborate with closely in building a sustainable future, establishing IHH as a leader in healthcare’s decarbonisation journey.”

In alignment with COP29, our leaders are also telling IHH’s sustainability story through a leadership interview on CNBC, to showcase our efforts in driving positive change. Yasemin Stubbe, Group Head of Sustainability at IHH, emphasised in the video, “Planet health goes hand in hand with human health. As a healthcare provider, we have to do our part to mitigate our own impact with climate change while adapting to its consequences. We must do our part, by helping people understand that human health must be at the forefront of the climate change conversation.”

The video showcases how we are tackling some pressing public health issues, beyond environmental efforts such as advocating responsible use of antibiotics to reducing disease burden through education, innovation, and improving healthcare access for underserved populations through outreach and medical interventions.

“At IHH, we have a huge responsibility to balance the delivery of exceptional patient care with safeguarding the health of the planet.” emphasised Dr Prem, “As a global healthcare provider with 80 hospitals across 10 countries, we are committed to achieving this balance. Our aspiration to “Care. For Good.”, is also our approach to sustainability where we put care at the heart of healthcare, while actively building the health of the planet for generations to come.”