Challenge

The healthcare sector is responsible for 4–5% of global carbon emissions and generates significant plastic, chemical, and pharmaceutical waste, yet it has not fully embraced the green transition. While sustainability pressures mount, including from international frameworks like the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, healthcare systems lack tailored, scalable tools to plan and implement effective sustainability strategies. Fragmentation across systems (hospitals, home care, procurement bodies, etc.) and the need to comply with complex local regulations further complicate this transition.

Solutions

The suHCO project addresses this challenge through a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) initiative that will develop and pilot a digital horizontal planning and execution system for sustainable healthcare operations. This modular system will help Health Care Organisations (HCOs) understand and act on sustainability opportunities by providing: 1. Access to vertical best practices and solutions (Information) 2. Tools to build tailored sustainability strategies (Operation) 3. Coordination and communication functionalities for engaging stakeholders (Organisation) 4. Behavioural and educational components to support mindset shift and upskilling (People) The system will integrate technologies from AI, platform design, and behavioural economics, and will be compatible with local regulations. It will be scalable across the EU and beyond and allow modular integration with existing systems.

Results

The project will result in market-ready, environmentally sustainable digital solutions co-developed with and for European healthcare procurers. By involving key end-users (clinicians, administrators, SMEs), the project ensures that the final system aligns with real-world needs and supports tangible change. A wide Follower Network of interested HCOs will also be recruited to support adoption and replication. Strengthens the EU health sector’s transition to climate neutrality, zero pollution, and circularity. suHCO is set to stimulate the market for sustainable digital health solutions, particularly benefiting SMEs and start-ups. It will help public procurers act as innovation drivers while ensuring health outcomes are maintained or improved, all while advancing the One Health Approach through scalable, replicable solutions, including potential uptake in developing countries.