The Joint Commission joins White House pledge to decarbonize healthcare

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission announced on December 7 that it was recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference for its actions to decarbonize the healthcare sector and make healthcare facilities more resilient to climate change.

The Joint Commission formally pledged to achieve the White House’s goals to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The agency is conducting a Technical Advisory Panel to evaluate the inclusion of climate-related standards into its accreditation surveys. It is also reviewing its current standards and survey methods to make sure they are not contributing to excess consumption of materials and energy.