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As a pioneer of transformation, the project is thus at the forefront of Germany's most sustainable players in the healthcare sector

"What is not counted does not count!" Around 6% of German greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the healthcare sector, with hospitals being particularly energy- and resource-intensive. So far, however, only a few hospitals have recorded and reported their emissions. But this will change in the future: According to the forthcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), hospitals will also have to prepare a balance sheet of greenhouse gases emitted in future. The KliMeG calculator has been available online free of charge since July 2023. The tool was developed in cooperation between the Heidelberg Institute for Global Health, the Freiburg Institute of General Medicine and ifeu Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung gGmbH. It enables hospitals to easily record their greenhouse gas emissions in order to make them tangible and reduce them. What makes it special is that the calculator was developed specifically for hospitals and therefore also covers specific aspects such as anesthetic gases and medical products. It is made available online by KliMeG and is accompanied by free workshops, a FAQ section and the opportunity to ask individual questions.

Dr. Matthias Albrecht, Managing Director of KliMeG - Competence Centre for Climate-Resilient Medicine and Healthcare Facilities, is delighted: "The fact that our KliMeG calculator has reached the final of the German Sustainability Award for Health is a great recognition for us. Hospitals can use the calculator to record their emissions on a sector-specific basis, derive decarbonization measures such as energy-saving measures or switching to a more plant-based diet and then check the effectiveness of the measures."

Claudia Quitmann, Research Associate, Heidelberg University Hospital, adds: "In the two different research projects KliOL and CAFOGES, we were united from the outset by the fact that our main goal is to promote transformation. For this reason, we decided early on to cooperate closely and bring together "the best of two worlds". In KliMeG, we found a great partner for the transfer from science to practice."

Prof. Dr. Andy Maun, Director of the Institute of General Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, explains: "We are delighted that we were able to contribute our valuable experience from the Freiburg research project CAFOGES (Carbon Footprint in Healthcare) to the development of the KliMeG calculator and together we have created an effective tool for clinics in a very short time."

Bernd Franke, project manager at the ifeu Institute in Heidelberg, adds: "The calculator is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. It also meets the requirements for the greenhouse gas balance, which will be mandatory for large hospitals from 2025 in accordance with the EU Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSDR)."

The German Sustainability Award is one of the most prestigious awards for sustainability in Germany and recognizes outstanding achievements in transformation in business, municipalities, health and sport. The winners of the German Sustainability Award for Health will be announced at the award ceremony on November 29, 2024 in Düsseldorf.

German Sustainability Award website: https://www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de/gesundheit/preistraeger-gesundheit/2024/finalisten