08/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/16/2024 11:41
Today marks the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark investment in climate protection. The Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating our progress toward President Biden and Vice President Harris' ambitious climate goals, which include building resiliency and reducing emissions in our health sector.
Climate change poses a threat not just to our health, but to our health systems. Climate change is the most significant threat to human health in the 21st century, according to more than 200 medical journals. It creates both acute and chronic risks, particularly to vulnerable populations, and already costs the American economy billions of dollars a year, significantly burdening the nation's healthcare system. The health care sector also contributes to the problem itself, accounting for 8.5 percent of the country's carbon emissions.
The Inflation Reduction Act provides billions of dollars for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience investments that can strengthen our health care organizations, particularly safety net health care organizations. These opportunities support the core mission of health care providers by improving emergency preparedness and lowering operating expenses. Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunities help providers make investments that allow them to stay open before, during, and after emergencies and reduce their own pollution levels.
The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity shares the stories of these providers, and information for providers hoping to start making investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience, through its Catalytic Program on Utilizing the Inflation Reduction Act. The Program targets outreach to safety net providers and aims to connect the health sector to opportunities that will help them save money and better serve their communities.
We know that climate solutions are health solutions. The Inflation Reduction Act helps the health sector play its part in achieving health equity for all.