Environmental Stewardship

In April 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Providence and its family of organizations announced the most ambitious climate pledge in U.S. health care: to become carbon negative by 2030. While we were facing a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, we were also witnessing the alarming impacts of climate change in our own commu- nities. No matter what the environmental hazard may be, the impacts of these threats disproportionately affect the health of those who are poor and vulnerable. This serves as an ongoing reminder that health equity and the This serves as an ongoing reminder that health equity and the health of the planet are inextricably linked. health of the planet are inextricably linked. With the U.S. health care sector contributing about 8.5 percent of all greenhouse gases, we simply cannot create Health for a Better World and reduce health inequities if we ignore our own contributions to the climate crisis. Letter from our President and CEO Letter from our President and CEO As you will see in this report, Providence has focused on environmentally sustainable practices for several de- cades, and this work accelerated once we made our pledge to become carbon negative. I am thrilled to share some of the progress we have made since setting this goal. Without a well-worn path to success, we created our guiding framework, WE ACT, that focuses on five key areas: Waste, Energy and Water, Agriculture and Food, Chemicals, and Transportation. We are reshaping our operations in each of these categories to reduce our carbon footprint and care for the planet in new ways. To us, justice extends beyond caring for patients in our hospitals to caring for our common home: Earth. We are re- sponding to the impact of climate change across our communities and pivoting away from how we have tradition- ally done things so we can help protect our planet for future generations. This work is fundamental to our Catholic heritage and commitment to under-resourced populations. In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis warned of environmental degradation and global warming, calling all people around the globe to "take swift and unified global action." Providence is responding in earnest to that call to action. The World Health Organization has also sounded the alarm, declaring climate change 'the single biggest threat fac- ing humanity.' We know the progress made across the globe in the next decade will dictate the long-term health of our planet, which is why we are taking significant action now. We alone, however, cannot make enough meaningful progress. Large scale, systemic changes are urgently needed at the industry and individual level. We invite oth- ers to partner with us on our journey to become carbon negative, to share practices, innovate and accelerate this important work. Together, we can navigate this challenging but vitally important path for the health and well-being of all. Reducing our impact on the planet Reducing our impact on the planet Environmental stewardship is anchored in our Mission and core values Environmental stewardship is anchored in our Mission and core values Partnership and immediate action are essential Partnership and immediate action are essential This effort has taken immense coordination and management by all our caregivers, our term for all employees, from those serving at the bedside to our senior leadership. Specifically, I am excited to share that in 2021 we reduced our hospitals' carbon emissions by 11.7 percent from 2019 levels in seven key categories across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 (see page 4). Those categories include: • Natural gas • Volatile anesthetics • Nitrous oxide • Purchased electricity and steam • Waste • Business travel • Employee commuting 1 Rod Hochman M.D. President and CEO, Providence

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