On November 25, 2025, the Future of Green Healthcare: International Forum on Healthcare Sustainability and Net-Zero Transformation was held at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation International Convention Center in Taipei, Taiwan. Mr. Joji Sugawara, Vice President of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), participated in the forum as a speaker.

The forum was convened to address the growing health impacts of climate change and to explore pathways toward sustainability and net-zero transformation in the healthcare sector, from both policy and practical perspectives. The event was organized by the Institute for Information Industry (III), with advisory support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and co-organized by the Hospital and Social Welfare Organization Administration Commission.

The morning international forum brought together approximately 250 participants and featured leading global experts in healthcare sustainability and decarbonization, including:

Nick Thorp (Network Director, Global Green and Healthy Hospitals(GGHH))
Sonia Roschnik (Executive Director, Geneva Sustainability Centre)
Joji Sugawara (Vice President, Health and Global Policy Institute)
Donald Wai (Chair, Green Committee, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital, Singapore)

Mr. Sugawara delivered a session titled “Overview of Japan’s Healthcare Sector Net-Zero Initiatives: Breaking Barriers, Building Understanding, and Advancing Multi-Stakeholder Policy Reforms under Universal Health Coverage,” in which he provided a comprehensive overview of Japan’s efforts toward achieving net-zero emissions in the healthcare sector.

In his presentation, he outlined recent trends in Japan’s climate change measures and healthcare policies, shared practical examples of decarbonization initiatives implemented by healthcare institutions, and examined the institutional and structural challenges involved, along with policy approaches to overcoming them. In particular, he discussed changes in the social and economic contexts surrounding Japan’s healthcare system, underlying perspectives on climate change, their potential impacts, and the geographic, demographic, and institutional similarities between Japan and Taiwan.

He further emphasized the importance of fostering shared understanding among diverse stakeholders—including government authorities, healthcare providers, the private sector, and civil society—and advancing multi-stakeholder policy reforms under the framework of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The subsequent panel discussion, “Shaping the Future: Challenges, Insights, and the Road Ahead for Net-Zero Healthcare,” enabled speakers to exchange perspectives on global policy trends, implementation gaps between policy and practice, and opportunities for international cooperation in accelerating net-zero healthcare.

In the afternoon, an invitation-only High-Level Policy Roundtable was held with representatives from Taiwan’s health authorities and major healthcare institutions, providing a platform for in-depth discussions on future national policy directions for net-zero healthcare, informed by international experiences shared during the forum.

HGPI views the integration of climate action and healthcare sustainability through the lens of planetary health as a critical policy priority. Participation in this forum provided an important opportunity to share Japan’s experiences while contributing to regional and global dialogue on advancing net-zero transformation in healthcare systems.