Hospitals management transformative initiatives; towards energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in healthcare facilities
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
ISSN: 1726-0531
Article publication date: 16 August 2022
Issue publication date: 24 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Energy-saving is a growing challenge worldwide because of population growth, economic activity and high consumption rates that are unsustainable in the long term. Health-care facilities and hospitals face the challenge of increases in operational costs. This paper aims to appraise challenges to adopting energy-saving policies and proposes a roadmap for sustainability and energy efficiency management in hospitals and health-care facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
Eight hospitals were examined as case studies through qualitative interviews with hospital senior management, executives and health-care facilities managers in addition to collecting relevant data from the literature; there is critical appraisal and content analysis of this data.
Findings
This study established factors influencing implementation and challenges to energy-saving strategies. This study proposed guidelines for efficient energy management in hospitals and health-care facilities. This study concluded that the best performance is secured by integrating the proposed guidelines with the adoption of ISO 50001 energy management systems to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goal – SDG 7 “affordable and clean energy”.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the initiatives/experiences of the hospitals studied in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Originality/value
This study’s findings, conclusions, recommendations and proposed guidelines enrich the body of knowledge. This will allow industry key stakeholders, hospitals and health-care facilities managers to overcome challenges of implementing energy management. In addition, adopting the proposed guidelines will improve energy efficiency and help hospitals in green initiatives as they seek to demonstrate their support for United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
SDG permissions: SDG permissions/UN/Department of Global Communications granted permission to include SDGs icons in research paper on February 25, 2022. “The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States”. Web site: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Citation
Dion, H., Evans, M. and Farrell, P. (2023), "Hospitals management transformative initiatives; towards energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in healthcare facilities", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 552-584. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-04-2022-0200
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited