Climate Change is caused from the increase of greenhouse gases emission in the
atmosphere, which leads to global temperature increase. The effects of climate change
include global warming, rising sea level, season and rainfall change. These effects
directly and indirectly impact people’s lives. The main cause of climate change is from
the amount of greenhouse gases emission from various human activities such as energy,
transportation, agriculture and waste. Health sector’s activities also cause greenhouse
gases emission such as energy and waste disposal. Therefore, health service centers
should be a part of reducing greenhouse gases in their organizations.
In Thailand, Ministry of Public Health is aware of the crisis as well as the role and
the participation in reducing greenhouse gasses in national and international level. Thus,
Department of Health has implemented “GREEN & CLEAN Hospital in 2011. The
objective of the implementation is to have health service centers under Office of the
Permanent Secretary for Public Health be the leader in implementing sustainable
sanitation and environmental friendly by following GREEN & CLEAN principle, and
developing to be GREEN & CLEAN model hospitals. Since the project has implemented
from 2011-2014, there are 4,176 health service centers have joined the project and 171
health service center have become GREEN & CLEAN model hospitals.
The GREEN & CLEAN model hospitals do not only inspire health service centers but
also other organizations including community and schools to realize of being a part to
reduce greenhouse gases emission in their organizations and their community.
This document presents the examples of the implementation and factors of
success of GREEN & CLEAN model hospitals in Thailand which is hoped to be a guide
for other organizations that are interested in participating in reducing greenhouse gases.