Go Blue. Live Green.
At Michigan Medicine, we understand that environmentally sustainable practices are essential to protect the health and longevity of our patients, the community we serve, and our planet.
The healthcare sector contributes to a significant portion of the world’s climate footprint and produces an extraordinary amount of waste. This creates rising temperatures, pollution, and food insecurity that leads to worse health outcomes for all. At Michigan Medicine, we want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We understand that environmentally sustainable practices are essential to protect the health and longevity of our patients, the community we serve, and our planet.
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Global: Healthcare contributes to 4.6% of the world's overall carbon emissions.
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National: In the US, healthcare is responsible for 8.5% of that country's total carbon emissions and a significant 27% of healthcare-related emissions on a global scale.
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The Challenge: Minimizing our impact on the environment while staying true to our tripartite mission of providing excellent patient care, education, and research.
To improve the health and well-being of the patients, employees, and communities we serve, we must also improve the health of the environments where we live, work, and play.
Michigan Medicine’s sustainability strategy has five main goals: reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, eliminate the use of chemicals of concern (COC), minimize waste generation, source healthy and sustainable food, and build healthy and resilient communities. These goals align with the University of Michigan’s 2025 Campus Sustainability Goals and The U-M President's Commitment to Carbon Neutrality. We are actively expanding our existing sustainability programs and piloting new initiatives that align with our goals.
- Green anesthesia
- Renewable energy purchasing
- Energy efficiency projects
- Virtual care
- Elimination of ethylene oxide in sterilant
- Elimination of glutaraldehyde in disinfectants
- PVC/phthalate free clinical products
- Medical plastics recycling initiative (MPRI)
- Materials recycling program
- Medical device reprocessing & reuse
- Daniels sharps containers redesign
- Local food purchasing
- Styrofoam reduction
- Food composting
Michigan Medicine requires all new buildings, additions and construction projects with a budget of $10,000,000 or more to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver level. LEED is one of most widely accepted international rating systems for measuring the environmental impact of new construction.
Specifically, designing LEED-certified buildings helps Michigan Medicine to achieve:
- energy savings
- water efficiency
- reduced CO2 emissions
- improved indoor environmental quality
- stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts
Michigan Medicine’s newest patient care facility, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion is currently under construction with carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability in mind. Kahn Pavilion is set to open in fall 2025 with an environmental goal to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest level for energy-efficient design. The Kahn Pavilion will exceed Michigan Energy Code efficiency targets by approximately 20%.
C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital (C&W) received LEED Silver level certification in 2012. Learn more about C&W's LEED Silver certification.
