Climate Initiative for Swedish Health Care and Life Science sector

The participants in the initiative have high ambitions for climate change and are actively working throughout the value chain. The participants are part of each other's value chains and see collaboration as key for Sweden to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. There is a clear need to accelerate the transition to sustainable healthcare in Sweden, in line with developments in other countries.

The shared climate ambition:

The shared climate ambition below will be signed by the participants in the national climate initiative at its launch on February 3, 2026. 

Together, within the Swedish healthcare and life science sector, we show the way towards a sustainable future

We commit to working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the ambition to reach netzero by 2045 throughout the value chain. To achieve the ambition, everyone reduces their ownemissions through timed transition plans in line with the Paris Agreement. Each of us activelycontributes. Together, we build resilient, fair and resource-efficient care.  
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Through preventive measures, early detection of diseases and effective treatment, we reduce the need for resource-intensive and climate-impacting care. We combine this with innovations, circular business models and material flows. Through transparency in the collaboration, we ensure that we follow up and continuously reduce climate impact. 
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Under our clear national leadership, we embrace this ambition and strengthen Sweden's competitiveness.We show that a climate-neutral healthcare sector is achievable – while safeguarding patient safety, public health and human rights.

The climate initiative enables joint projects and collaboration

Through the collaboration enabled by the national climate initiative for the healthcare sector, the actors plan to run joint projects in areas such as the circular economy and preventive care. Since the actors are forming each other's value chains, the collaboration will enable the actors to achieve much more than each organization could on its own.

Background

Societal transformation is underway in several areas to strengthen society's ability to meet the global climate and health crisis and thereby increase our resilience. This is also highlighted in the Swedish Life Science Strategy under goal 8.4, which emphasizes the need for increased efforts for climate change mitigation, climate adaptation, and reduced environmental impact. Many actors in the health and medical care sector have set their own goals but see a need for closer collaboration to achieve more.

The geopolitical situation and the need to build a resilient population and society have never been greater, and a major overhaul is underway within the EU. At the same time, the climate crisis is the greatest long-term challenge facing humanity, with clear links between climate change and deteriorating public health. The healthcare sector plays a crucial role in society, but at the same time accounts for around five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Against this background, collaboration across organizational and sectoral boundaries is essential. By bringing together actors along the entire value chain, the conditions are created for a joint contribution to the transition to more sustainable healthcare.

Why participate?

The Climate Initiative brings together actors who want to actively contribute to the green transition in healthcare and life sciences. By participating in the initiative, organizations become part of a national context where collaboration, common direction, and work throughout the value chain are in focus, with the goal of jointly contributing to reduced climate impact and long-term sustainable healthcare in Sweden.

Would your organization like to participate in the initiative?  Contact us here.