University of Waterloo researchers calculate hospital’s carbon footprint

A member of the house cleaning team wipes down a bed at Bluewater Health Hospital in Sarnia, Ont., on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)

Researchers at the University of Waterloo are digging into data to find hidden sources of carbon emissions at Canadian hospitals.

Studying a 40-bed hospital in British Columbia over one year, the team analyzed its electricity bills, water use, purchasing history and more to provide a comprehensive picture of its carbon footprint.

“That includes everything from medical devices and consumables – like medicine cups and medical tubing – and also non-medical things like coffee makers and computer keyboards,” the study’s lead author Alex Cimprich explains.

The study identified energy and water use, along with the purchasing of medical products as some of the hospital’s primary carbon “hotspots.”

Its authors hope the findings can help inform hospital decision makers.

“I think the key message here is to be aware of the environmental impacts and to look beyond just the obvious things, and look at the environmental impacts more systematically,” Cimprich says.

“Because for example, if we look at some parts that are very visible, like waste, they actually don't contribute very much. I'm not suggesting that we should be complacent about the waste. But I think there's bigger fish to fry.”

Cimprich said anesthetic gases, particularly one called desflurane, are actually potent greenhouse gases, which are usually vented directly into the atmosphere. Focusing on reducing emissions in that area could be an easy win for hospitals, although Cimprich says more research is needed.

The comprehensive analysis estimated the hospital’s yearly carbon footprint at 3,500 to 5,000 tons of CO2 equivalent. Divided by the number of beds, researchers say that means the carbon footprint of one hospital bed is roughly equivalent to that of five Canadian households – and they have reason to believe that figure could be on the low end nationally.

“Partly because of where [the hospital] is located, it's in B.C., which has a pretty low carbon electrical grid, and compared to here in Ontario, a relatively mild climate. It's also a relatively small hospital and it's a fairly new building as well.”

The university says future research could zoom in on the hotspots identified in this study, and the research approach could be applied to other hospitals, healthcare facilities or even organizations outside the healthcare sector.