Vithas*, a leading Spanish hospital group, as part of its commitment to Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria, has become the first Spanish private hospital group to become carbon neutral in natural gas and electricity consumption.
Noticia publicada en la newsletter de la European Union of Private Hospitals
Vithas*, a leading Spanish hospital group, as part of its commitment to Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria, has become the first Spanish private hospital group to become carbon neutral in natural gas and electricity consumption.
Vithas, which already had a 100% electricity supply from certified renewable sources since 2020, took another step forward in 2023 in its sustainability strategy, as its centres were the first in the sector to be CO2 neutral in terms of natural gas consumption. In this way, it became the first Spanish healthcare company with no carbon footprint in both energy consumption.
In line with its commitment to environmental sustainability, Vithas has commissioned photovoltaic installations in 5 of the group’s hospitals in 2023. In one year, these solar power plants produced 662,513 kWh.
- Specifically, the Vithas Aguas Vivas hospital (Valencia) generated 231,071 kWh, representing 36.8% of its electricity consumption; the Vithas Alicante hospital 49. 781 kWh (5.1% of total consumption); 197,032 kWh (5.4%) were generated at Vithas Sevilla; 18,959 kWh (1.8%) were generated at Vithas Las Palmas; and 165,670 kWh (5.8%) were generated at Vithas Xanit Internacional de Benalmádena.
In addition, new photovoltaic plants are due to be installed this year at the Vithas Madrid Aravaca university hospital and at Vithas Almeria.
Certified in the three scopes
In addition, AENOR has just certified the measurement of Vithas’ global carbon footprint in the three scopes that comprise it (1: direct emissions from our activity; 2: emissions derived from energy consumption, and 3: indirect emissions caused by its activity, such as those generated by suppliers or patient or employee travel). This global certification also represents a milestone in the Spanish private healthcare sector.
Dr. Pedro Rico, CEO of Vithas, stressed that “I am well aware that we still have a long way to go, but it is well known that a journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. The fact that we are already carbon neutral in terms of electricity and natural gas consumption shows, in my opinion, that we are going in the right direction, that we are responding to what society demands of companies like Vithas and that we are fulfilling our commitment to sustainability out of conviction: caring for the health of the planet also means caring for the health of people”.
Regarding the global measurement of Vithas’ carbon footprint, Dr. Rico recalled that “what is not measured, does not exist, so this arduous exercise of measuring our carbon footprint is essential for us to build realistic, efficient and credible strategies in our environmental commitment”.
A further step in its commitment to sustainability
This progress is part of the group’s new Sustainability Master Plan, whose main challenges in terms of energy efficiency and the environment include achieving 80% of the EU’s 2030 Climate and Energy Framework Targets by 2025.
To this end, Vithas has set out to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable primary energy by 33%; increase energy efficiency by reducing consumption by up to 32.5%; achieve a 40% share of near-zero energy consumption (NEE) buildings and, lastly, increase the efficiency of hospital processes in water consumption.
In recent years, the sustainable and efficient measures implemented by Vithas in all its centres have managed to reduce energy consumption by 14.8% and annual CO2 emissions by 27.6%, which is equivalent to planting 22,467 trees or saving the energy required for 164,979 hospital stays.
The health sector is responsible for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. A climate footprint equivalent to the annual emissions of 514 coal-fired power plants, so that, if it were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter on the planet, according to data from the study carried out by the NGO Health Care Without Harm (HCWH). Seventy-one per cent of these emissions come from the supply chain, with the remaining 29 per cent coming from the health facilities themselves (17 per cent), and from their energy consumption (12 per cent).
