Certificate in Healthcare Sustainability (Oversea Participants)

Course Synopsis

The Certificate in Healthcare Sustainability is a practical, healthcare-focused programme designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills and tools to drive sustainability within their organisations.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between healthcare, climate change and environmental stewardship, while learning how sustainability initiatives can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, enhance patient outcomes and support organisational resilience.

Through real-world healthcare case studies, best practices and hands-on learning, participants will explore energy and water efficiency, carbon management, circular economy principles, sustainable healthcare operations and decarbonisation strategies.

The programme empowers participants to translate sustainability concepts into actionable projects that create measurable environmental, operational and financial benefits

Course objectives

Upon completion of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Understand the impact of healthcare operations on climate change and recognise climate change as a health issue.
• Explain key sustainability concepts, frameworks and emerging trends relevant to healthcare.
• Identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and resource optimisation within healthcare settings.
• Apply Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) and Circular Economy principles in decision-making and operational planning.
• Develop practical strategies to reduce Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 carbon emissions.
• Evaluate and implement sustainability initiatives using data-driven approaches and performance indicators.
• Champion environmental stewardship and influence sustainable behaviours within their departments and organisations.
• Develop a departmental sustainability or decarbonisation action plan aligned with organisational sustainability goals.
  

Target Audience

This programme is designed for:

• Healthcare professionals interested in sustainability.
• Staff involved in environmental, operational or quality improvement initiatives.
• Leaders and managers seeking to integrate sustainability into organisational strategy and operations.
• Individuals aspiring to become sustainability champions within their organisations.

Eligibility

N/A

Programme Structure

Day 1: Healthcare Sustainability Fundamentals

Participants will join the full-day Certificate in Healthcare Sustainability programme alongside local healthcare professionals.

Topics include:

• Healthcare and climate change
• Sustainability challenges and opportunities in healthcare
• Energy, water and carbon management
• Circular economy and waste reduction
• Green technologies and sustainable healthcare practices
• Decarbonisation strategies for healthcare organisations
• Case studies and best practices from Singapore healthcare institutions.

This provides participants with a strong foundation in healthcare sustainability principles and practical applications.

Day 2: Sustainability in Practice – Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH)

Participants will be attached to the Sustainability Office for an immersive learning experience focused on real-world implementation.

Key learning activities include:

Sustainability Governance and Performance Measurement

• Understanding sustainability governance in healthcare
• Introduction to key sustainability indicators:
  • Energy Use Intensity (EUI)
  • Water Efficiency Index (WEI)
  • Carbon Footprint Measurement (Scope 1, 2, and 3)
• Data collection, monitoring and reporting methodologies
• Sustainability dashboards and performance management

Sustainability Site Tour

Guided tour of NTFGH to observe sustainability initiatives in operation including:

• Energy-efficient hospital design features
• Smart building technologies and building management systems
• Water conservation and recycling initiatives
• Renewable energy applications
• Waste management and circular economy practices
• Clinical sustainability projects

Group Discussion and Knowledge Exchange

• Interactive discussions with sustainability leaders
• Sharing of challenges and best practices from participants' organisations
• Exploration of opportunities for implementation in participants' home institutions
• Development of preliminary sustainability action plans

Programme Outcomes

By the end of the two-day programme, participants will be able to:

• Understand healthcare sustainability concepts and frameworks.
• Measure and interpret EUI, WEI and healthcare carbon emissions.
• Identify sustainability opportunities within healthcare facilities and operations.
• Learn from a leading sustainable healthcare campus in Singapore.
• Apply practical sustainability strategies within their own organisations.
• Develop a preliminary sustainability improvement or decarbonisation roadmap.

Our Trainers

Ng Kian Swan
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Group Facility Management,
Security & Emergency Planning, NUHS
Chair, Energy & Water Taskforce, NUHS
Chief Sustainability Officer, NTFGH & JCH
Senior Director, JurongHealth Academy, NTFGH & JCH

Photos

Photos from previous sessions: