Prescription: Sustainability

• Author: Kathy Gerwig
• Position: Vice President, Environmental Stewardship Officer, at Kaiser Permanente, one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans serving 8.6 million members
• Pages: 27-27

MAY/JUNE 2010 ❧ Page 27

Copyright © 2010, Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, D.C. www.eli.org.

Reprinted by permission from The Environmental Forum®, May/June 2010

anoTher view

a chemical?), and advocacy by non-

governmental organizations. Com-

panies can measure their progress

in reducing their toxic footprint by

reporting on reduced use of par-

ticular chemicals of concern. ey

can also work with certif‌iers such

as McDonough Braungart Design

Chemistry to receive cradle-to-cra-

dle certif‌ication of products.

Leadership companies are eager

to share their tools. SC Johnson

has made Greenlist available for

licensing at no cost, though com-

panies would incur costs in adapt-

ing it to their own product stream.

Likewise, Wal-Mart has signaled its

willingness to have other retailers

engage GreenWERCS. Wal-Mart,

with other companies, is working

on a Global Data Synchronization

Network Product Ingredient Re-

porting Project that would enhance

movement of product ingredient

data within supply chains.

ese activities in the United

States complement data develop-

ment systems in the European

Union, where numerous consul-

tancies are assisting companies in

addressing the demands for chemi-

cal disclosure, hazard data devel-

opment, and enhanced supply

chain communication required by

the EU’s newly enacted chemical

management legislation, known as

REACH.

Many industry trade associa-

tions are also contributing con-

structively to the chemical tracking

ef‌fort, forging progressive industry-

wide lists that member companies

should address. For example, the

American Apparel & Footwear As-

sociation has developed a restricted

substances list, and a multi-compa-

ny apparel industry working group

has created a kit for suppliers that

builds on the AAFA’s work. e

electronics industry has developed

its own guide. Within the automo-

tive industry, the Suppliers Partner-

ship for the Environment is using

the SciVera Lens system for assess-

ing and managing chemicals.

Climate. Global warming will

cause health ef‌fects that will direct-

ly impact Kaiser Permanente’s abil-

ity to fulf‌ill its promise of quality,

af‌fordable care. We are taking prac-

tical actions to limit our emissions

of greenhouse gases and helping

to reduce the carbon footprint of

the communities we serve. We are

expanding our supply of renewable

energy through on-site installations

of solar power. We also make use

of new technologies to minimize

member and patient travel, includ-

ing mail-order pharmacies, e-visits,

and telemedicine.

Food. We support a food sys-

tem that is ecologically sound,

economically viable, and socially

responsible. We sponsor 37 farm-

ers markets at our

hospitals and medical

of‌f‌ices, in some cases

providing the only

source of fresh food

in the neighborhood.

On an annual basis 60

tons of the produce

served in Kaiser Per-

manente’s hospitals in

Northern California comes from

local farms.

Waste. We are reducing and

where possible eliminating waste

through source reduction and re-

cycling to promote individual and

community health. In 2009 we re-

cycled over 60,000 pieces of elec-

tronic waste using certif‌ied U.S.-

based specialists.

Companies should reduce their

environmental footprint because

it is smart business and mitigates

risk. But it is also about health.

And without our health, nothing

else matters.

Kathy Gerwig is Vice President, Environ-

mental S tewardship Ofcer, at Kaiser Per-

manente, one of America’s leading health

care pro viders and no t-for-pro t health pla ns

serving 8.6 millio n members.

At Kaiser Permanente,

we know that healthy

neighborhoods and a

healthy environment

are critical to the health

of every person. Environmental

sustainability and social equity have

direct, positive ef‌fects on individu-

al wellness and the wellbeing of the

communities we live in. Since the

organization was founded in 1945

we have worked to curb our impact

on the environment by using safer

chemicals, building greener hos-

pitals, reducing waste, purchasing

locally grown food, and using sus-

tainable energy.

Striving for sustainability in-

cludes understanding the dispro-

portionate impacts of environ-

mental pollutants. In

the United States today,

the health of ethnic mi-

norities, poor people,

and other disadvan-

taged groups is worse

than the health of the

overall population. Ex-

posures to air pollution

and harmful chemicals

in the environment have greater

health consequences in disadvan-

taged communities, where lack of

nutrition, limited or no access to

preventive health care services, and

inadequate opportunities to exer-

cise are the norm.

Kaiser Permanente’s environ-

mental stewardship activities focus

on four priorities:

Chemicals. Kaiser Permanente

seeks to advance an economy where

the production and use of chemicals

are not harmful for humans as well

as for our global environment. In ad-

dition to a robust environmentally

preferable purchasing program, we

have testif‌ied before Congress twice

on the need for federal mechanisms

to reduce harmful chemicals in the

products and materials consumers

and corporations buy.

Prescription: Sustainability

Kathy Gerwig