Several Yankee Alliance members have signed the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge launched on Earth Day 2022. This is a voluntary commitment to climate resilience and emissions reduction that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by2050. As of April 12, 2024, 139 organizations representing 943 hospitals, as well as health centers, suppliers, insurance companies, group purchasing organizations and pharmaceutical companies have signed the Pledge.Yankee/Premier members who have signed are Berkshire Health System, Boston Children’s, Southcoast Health System, and Tufts Medicine.

At Yankee Alliance, we understand how important sustainability is to the future of our industry, our country, and the world. We believe this issue is so important that we added it to our annual conference agenda in Oct 2023.

At the request of our members, Yankee Alliance created a Sustainability Committee in Dec 2023. Since then, Yankee has worked with our members to educate the Alliance on the Inflation Reduction Act funding and how to access resources to support sustainability efforts. We have introduced suppliers who provide products and services focused on sustainability and awarded contracts to a few suppliers that have helped our members decrease their greenhouse gas emissions.

Members have completed, or are working on, initiatives such as EV vehicles and charging stations, battery energy storage facilities, recycling and waste reduction programs, lighting projects, biowaste digesters, and tracking/auditing gas emissions.

Yankee Alliance continues to explore ways to expand our sustainability program by creating a sustainability contract portfolio, evaluate business partners that can help members achieve their sustainability goals, and educate our members on the importance of pursuing sustainability initiatives.