New HealthPartners report shares strategies for adapting to a changing climate

HealthPartners, a long-time leader in health care sustainability, published its first climate resilience plan in late 2023, outlining the strategies, goals and actions it will take to adapt to a changing climate, both within its health care facilities and the communities it serves.

"We know a clean and safe environment is an important foundation for good health, and that the effects of climate change threaten that foundation," says Andrea Walsh, HealthPartners president and CEO. "This report shows the progress we're making and shares our vision for a more sustainable, climate-resilient future for our patients, members and community."

With the release of the climate resilience plan, HealthPartners joins other leading health care organizations in sharing the steps it's taking to prepare facilities for effects related to climate change. The plan also includes detailed goals for emergency preparedness and response, infrastructure resilience and community health.

HealthPartners has consistently shown its commitment to a more sustainable future. In 2022, the organization was among the first health systems nationwide to sign the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge. The pledge includes a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% before 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Between 2018 and 2022, HealthPartners decreased its total carbon emissions by 14%.

The climate resilience plan (PDF) is available on healthpartners.com.