Sustainability Initiatives, UPMC’s Community Commitment

UPMC champions sustainability from operations to the operating room.

Our long history of sustainable initiatives includes addressing energy efficiency, fleet management, air quality, water use, and more. Now UPMC is working to make our health care and our communities more resilient by joining clinicians and staff to drive change.

The new UPMC Center for Sustainability is strengthening initiatives throughout our network of 40 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient sites and offices. UPMC launched the center in 2023, building on more than a decade of eco-friendly practices. The new center brings together UPMC facility leaders and Clinicians for Climate Action, a group of 500 UPMC physicians and staff, to define and achieve goals for a greener, healthier future.

What are UPMC’s sustainability initiatives?

UPMC signed the White House Health Care Sector Climate Pledge in fall of 2022. Our pledge is to reduce organizational emissions by 50% by 2030, and to achieve net-zero by 2050.

As a health care system, UPMC is committed to:

• Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reducing emissions from the power we buy.
• Improving the efficiency of our buildings.
• Making sustainable purchasing decisions.
• Expanding our resiliency and preparing for climate changes.
• Involving our employees and communities in environmental initiatives in new ways.

UPMC has a long history of addressing environmental concerns. And today, UPMC is at the forefront of climate-smart health care innovation, environmentally preferable purchasing, sustainable food strategies, greening the operating room, renewable energy, and more.

Read about all of our sustainability initiatives

UPMC Center for Sustainability in the News

• UPMC CEO recognized for industry influence and sustainability efforts - Express Healthcare Management
• 7 drivers shaping health care CFOs’ decision-making - Health Leaders
• Mitigating climate threats through diligent planning - Health Facilities Management magazine
• Leading the green revolution: Top 10 sustainable hospitals around the globe - Healthcare Magazine
• These doctors are trying to lower hospitals' carbon footprint – NPR
• Pittsburgh-area hospitals tackling climate emissions, pollution and waste – Environmental Health News
• How UPMC doctors are driving a renewed focus on sustainability – Fierce Healthcare
• How healthcare organizations are tackling climate change now and in the future  - HealthTech Magazine
• UPMC’s sustainability efforts to reduce carbon footprint pay off – Modern Healthcare
• Should hospitals be next to divest from fossil fuels? – Environmental Health News

Our Experts

UPMC Center for Sustainability

• Michael Boninger, MD, Chief Medical Sustainability Officer
• John Krolicki, Chief Administrative Sustainability Officer
• Holly Vogt, Senior Director
• Jon Polley, Program Manager
• Kate Zettl, Director and Energy Engineer
• Sydney Crum, Program Coordinator

Clinicians for Climate Action

• Isabela Cajiao-Angelelli, MD, Co-chair
• Noe Copley-Woods, MD, Co-chair

Contact Us

Learn more about the UPMC Center for Sustainability by emailing us.