The paper “Exploring the Potential of Industry-Academia-Civil Collaboration for Sustainability in the Healthcare Sector” has been published in the Japanese Journal of Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies.

Focusing on the necessity and urgency of ensuring sustainability in the healthcare sector in the face of climate change, this paper proposes collaboration among Japan’s industry, academia, and civil society. It suggests effective advocacy methods to foster such collaboration. This study is based on the efforts of the Planetary Health Project of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI). Program Specialist Kenta Minantani, Vice President Joji Sugawara, and Adjunct Fellow Akira Shimabukuro from the organization have contributed as the main authors.

Key Points

• The Importance of Engagement and Collaboration with Diverse Stakeholders: To achieve a sustainable healthcare system, it is crucial to emphasize the active participation and collaboration of various stakeholders, including governments, private companies, NGOs, and academia. Bringing together participants with different perspectives and expertise can lead to more comprehensive and effective solutions.
• Content and Methods of Advocacy: In advocacy, it’s important to consider: (1) actively presenting the need for sustainability in the healthcare sector, (2) proposing measures to mitigate climate change, and (3) suggesting adaptation strategies to climate change. Academic research institutions, private companies, and civil organizations are expected to collaborate, leveraging their strengths in each area. As for specific methods, discussions, symposiums, signature campaigns, awareness through mass media, and policy recommendations are potential approaches.
• The Necessity of Ensuring Sustainability and Mitigation and Adaptation Based on Health Risks: Considering the impact of climate change on human health is crucial when formulating policies and strategies to ensure the sustainability of the healthcare sector. As mitigation measures, it’s effective to present the sector’s substantial greenhouse gas emissions and suggest reduction methods in areas such as hospital facilities, transportation, pharmaceuticals, and supply chains. For adaptation, considering examples from various countries, it’s advisable to explore concrete policies like enhanced surveillance and community health programs.

This paper aims to deepen the understanding of specific actions towards ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare sector through collaboration between industry, academia, and civil society. Although this discussion is just beginning in Japan, it is intended to aid in moving forward together as a unified front.

The paper can be found here (in Japanese).