About
Why Sustainability in Healthcare Matters
The U.S. healthcare system is responsible for over 8.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions, generates substantial amounts of waste, and relies on products that often contain chemicals of concern. These environmental impacts contribute to the very health conditions the system seeks to treat, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities and exacerbating health inequities.
Nurses—who make up the largest portion of the healthcare workforce—are essential to addressing these challenges. Many nurses are eager to make their workplaces more sustainable but are unsure where to begin. That’s where the ANHE Sustainability Toolkit comes in.
A Toolkit Built for Nurses
The ANHE Sustainability Toolkit was created to support nurses at all levels—whether you’re just becoming aware of healthcare’s environmental impact or already leading sustainability efforts in your institution. This comprehensive resource offers:
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📘 Updated guides and resources for getting started and taking action on climate and sustainability
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💬 Case studies of nurses who are driving change within hospitals, clinics, and communities
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🏥 Tools to help engage leadership and advocate for systems-level change
This toolkit is rooted in the lived experience of nurses and shaped by experts in healthcare sustainability. It’s a modernized response to the kinds of practical resources that guided nurse leaders in the early 2000s—now updated to meet today’s challenges.
Who It’s For
This toolkit is designed for:
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Nurses in hospital and clinical settings
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Nursing students looking to lead with purpose from day one
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Educators integrating climate and health into curricula
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Nurse leaders and sustainability champions across the care continuum
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Anyone in healthcare committed to environmental health and climate-smart care
Whether you’re working at the bedside, in administration, or in policy spaces, you’ll find tools here to help you identify opportunities, build momentum, and create change.
How It Was Created
This project was developed by the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) with input from our national network of nurses, healthcare sustainability experts, and environmental health advocates. We also drew on the expertise of nurses who have successfully implemented green initiatives to ensure the content is practical, relevant, and grounded in real-world healthcare settings.
Join Us
The future of healthcare must be sustainable—and nurses are leading the way. We invite you to explore the toolkit, share it with colleagues, and start taking action. Together, we can create a healthier future for our patients, our communities, and our planet.