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The U.S. healthcare system emits the same amount of greenhouse gases every year as 100 coal-fired power plants.

That's according to Gary Cohen, founder and president of Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm. Cohen said two culprits account for nearly 80% of the healthcare industry's carbon emissions: the supply chain and nonrenewable energy investments. The supply chain in particular—which includes anything from medical devices to food—is a pain point for all hospitals, because they cannot function without a reliable pipeline.

"So much of the climate footprint is in the supply chain," Cohen said. "It's really the place where a lot of work needs to happen."

...

With climate goals set for the next three decades, hospitals will continue innovating their way toward greener, more sustainable practices for years to come. But the real objective of the long game, Cohen said, is to keep more people out of the hospital in the first place by improving their overall health, including through a cleaner environment.

"The greenest hospital we have is the one we don't need to build," he said.