As a health-care organization, we are mindful of the link between a healthy environment and a healthy population. We have an important role to play in both reducing our collective environmental footprint and ensuring our ability to respond to current and future environmental threats. Planetary health is a priority for our
2023-2028 Strategic Plan.
BC Renal has developed an actionable strategy to integrate environmentally sustainable kidney care in BC Renal committees and key activities. A working group of clinical champions from all health authority renal programs, an Indigenous leader, patient and family partners and BC Renal staff guided its development.
The strategy outlines key priorities, objectives, and how network members can work together to advance the efforts:
Stretch goal: 40% reduction in kidney care originating greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, in accordance with
Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and
CleanBC.
Current areas of focus
- Build relationships and leverage the programs, policies and resources already developed provincially, nationally and internationally.
- Increase awareness across the network of available resources and tools.
- Support educational opportunities and knowledge translation.
- Embed planetary health in all projects undertaken by BC Renal and its provincial committees.
- Work towards the integration of green nephrology champions and strategies across the network.
- Seek opportunities to integrate green strategies into provincial contract procurement and management.
- Optimize kidney care strategies that promote environmental sustainability (early identification of disease/preventing disease progression, virtual care, pharmaceutical approaches etc).
Environmentally sustainable kidney care case studies
This case study series showcases how kidney care teams are reducing environmental impacts, offering practical solutions to inspire action across programs.
Case study: IV Fe push in HD
Green initiatives supported to date
BC Renal is collaborating with the UBC Planetary Healthcare Lab to conduct ‘life cycle assessments’ (LCAs) of kidney therapies, including pre-dialysis, dialysis, transplantation, and conservative care. LCAs systematically quantify environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of products and services. This foundational data will support future decision-making and policy development that incorporates environmental stewardship into kidney care.Members of the BC Renal network are active participants in the
Sustainable Nephrology Action Planning (SNAP) committee, a Canadian-wide group of providers dedicated to aligning kidney care with planetary health principles. Through this group, they have been involved in academic publication that add to knowledge above the impact of health care on planetary health.
Learn more:
BC Renal is a member of the Green Care Network. Green Care unites efforts across the BC healthcare community to transform our healthcare system toward planetary health and resilient care for healthy people, places, and the planet.
se study: IV Fe push
