JCI, in collaboration with Geneva Sustainability Centre, launches new Healthcare Sustainability Certification

The healthcare sector contributes nearly 5.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions while facing increasing health impacts from climate change, according to a 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown. As healthcare organizations strive to decarbonize and become more resilient, Joint Commission International (JCI), in collaboration with the International Hospital Federation’s Geneva Sustainability Centre (GSC), recently announced a new international Healthcare Sustainability Certification (HSC).

The HSC program, effective Jan. 1, 2025, is available to healthcare organizations outside the United States and its territories that are accelerating their sustainable practices and seeking formal recognition. For the first time, this certification is available to any institution whether JCI accredited or not. The certification provides a framework to help healthcare leaders initiate sustainability priorities and develop a formal governance structure to gain successful results.

“Together, Joint Commission International and the International Hospital Federation are supporting and celebrating healthcare organizations around the world that are leading the way in sustainable healthcare,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International. “These organizations inspire others to follow in their footsteps so that healthcare can become more resilient, able to serve patients and communities during extreme weather events, and provide meaningful and lasting benefits for the health of the planet.”

U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals may apply for The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification, which has been available since Jan. 1, 2024.

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