Mass General Brigham Highlights the Past Year’s Progress in Sustainability Initiatives

These advancements support the system’s commitment to environmental sustainability and climate resiliency

On Earth Day, Mass General Brigham is proud to announce significant advancements in its sustainability initiatives over the past year, following the release of its first sustainability impact report. Through collaborative efforts and innovative strategies, Mass General Brigham has made remarkable strides toward its goal of creating a more sustainable healthcare system and continues to focus on several key objectives. As a leader in sustainable healthcare delivery, Mass General Brigham acknowledges that climate change is a public health crisis and is committed to addressing the threats associated with climate change to promote and sustain the health of its community.

Key achievements include:

• Along with Harvard, MIT and Apex Clean Energy, Mass General Brigham established the Consortium for Climate Solutions, which has initiated two large-scale renewable energy projects to be integrated into regional power grids. These projects will provide new sources of clean electricity, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and collectively generating clean power equivalent to the electricity used by 130,000 U.S. homes each year for the 15-year duration of the contracts.

• Anesthetic gases are a large, unique source of carbon emissions in healthcare. When released into the atmosphere, they act as greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming. Massachusetts General Hospital has adopted a more sustainable approach to nitrous oxide delivery by shutting down pipelines that carry nitrous oxide from central supplies— which, in many cases, leaked up to 90 percent of the gas before reaching patients. In addition to using less nitrous oxide for patients, the hospital has also switched to in-room cylinders, significantly reducing nitrous oxide emissions and improving the system’s efficiency.

• The Greening the Lab initiative, which began as a pilot program in 2024 at five Massachusetts General Hospital labs, has now expanded to include 20 additional labs across Mass General Brigham. The initiative aims to make medical research more sustainable and increase participation in sustainable lab practices.

• Out of more than 100 applicants, Mass General Brigham was one of five organizations selected to participate in a new cohort of IBM Sustainability Accelerator projects. To enhance and sustain the health of our community, Mass General Brigham and IBM together are developing an AI tool that will empower patients and their care teams to better address the health risks of extreme heat. The tool, which will be initially tested across Mass General Brigham hospitals, will be built to predict hyperlocal extreme heat events, identify at-risk patients, and deliver reliable, automated warnings when a heat wave is imminent.

• In collaboration with the Climate and Sustainability Leadership Council, Mass General Brigham’s supply chain procurement team has been engaging suppliers to incorporate sustainability into new contracts, with gloves and gowns being among the first items targeted. A major milestone in these efforts is a unique collaboration with a medical supplier that produces gloves at a factory that uses 92% renewable energy and has created better packaging for its products.

• Mass General Brigham has supported advocacy efforts to tackle the current climate crisis, including the passage of climatetech provisions within the Economic Development Bill (H.4804, An Act Relative to Strengthening Massachusetts’ Economic Leadership). This initiative marks a significant step toward integrating climate priorities into Massachusetts' economic development strategy and will enhance investments in technology designed to address our climate challenges.

Looking ahead

As Mass General Brigham reflects on these accomplishments, the system remains committed to transparency and continuous improvement. Some of the priorities for the months ahead include:

• Pursuing the Sustainable Healthcare Certification by the Joint Commission, which supports Mass General Brigham’s decarbonization efforts and reinforces our leadership role in sustainable practices.

• Conducting a community health survey as part of the Community Health Needs Assessment across Mass General Brigham hospitals. This survey aims to understand how climate change affects our communities and to incorporate climate considerations into community health needs, ensuring that the health impacts identified by the communities Mass General Brigham serves are addressed.

• Continuing efforts to lower overall emissions through its Decarbonization Master Plan, which will provide a roadmap for reducing and ultimately eliminating emissions from Mass General Brigham’s energy consumption. The Decarbonization Master Plan is scheduled to be completed by Q3 2025. Additionally, Mass General Brigham will maintain its commitment to transparency by reporting its greenhouse gas emissions through CDP.

• Actively participating in the US Healthcare Climate Council, collaborating with other progressive health systems to develop actionable strategies for decarbonizing healthcare delivery.

“We are proud of the progress we have made in our sustainability journey,” said Niyum Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and Chairman of the Climate and Sustainability Leadership Council of Mass General Brigham. “Our achievements over the past year demonstrate our commitment to enhancing our operations and contributing positively to the environment and our communities. However, there is still much work ahead. Though we will not overcome the challenges posed by climate change in a day or a year, we resolve to face this problem head-on so that those we serve can live their best, healthiest lives.”