Sustainable governance and structures have been created to coordinate, implement and monitor the awareness of sustainability challenges within the institution.
The Management Committee steers the sustainability process. In 2021, it set up a Sustainability Committee which reports to it. The Board of Directors is informed on a regular basis about the progress being made in sustainability issues.
The mission of the Sustainability Committee is to draw up and propose the HUG's social, environmental and climate responsibility strategy and to monitor its implementation. Chaired by the deputy director general, it brings together some fifteen managers from different directorates and departments. A patient partner is also a permanent member of the committee. It is the steering body which supports the HUG in achieving its sustainability objectives. The committee meets four times a year as well as on other occasions as required.
A sustainability office was set up to support the committee and to coordinate the implementation of the sustainability strategy of the HUG at operational level. The unit also supports the projects promoting sustainability carried out by employees. It is a source of expertise on sustainability and environmental protection within the institution and its members work closely with all departments and directorates.
The departments, directorates and services of the HUG implement the sectoral strategies and actions. They all play their part, at their specific levels and in their fields of expertise, to achieving the sustainability objectives. The staff are aware of the sustainability issues related to their activities and understand the added value of sustainable practices in their work.
In 2019 HUG employees established a group, now open to all staff, designed to mobilize resources and skills to address sustainability issues in care provision. This platform aims to encourage exchanges between healthcare professionals and to develop environmental projects in line with medical and nursing practices.
The HUG maintain a regular dialogue with all their stakeholders, namely staff, patients, relatives, partners, suppliers, authorities, representatives of civil and economic society and the general public.
They communicate periodically on their sustainability challenges, commitments and performance, both internally and externally.
Stakeholders are regularly involved in developing objectives, targets and action plans. These exchanges allow for a better understanding and integration of the expectations and concerns of stakeholders while sharing the challenges and commitments of the HUG.
The HUG are on the steering committee of the platform created and coordinated by the Canton of Geneva and are also active in all the working groups (waste, sustainable procurement, buildings and energy, sustainable food, responsible digital technology and eco-mobility).
In 2021, at the initiative of the HUG and the Universitätsspital Basel (USB), the five Swiss university hospitals set up a sustainability working group. They meet regularly to share best practice and experience as well as to work together on common challenges on various topics such as energy and climate, mobility, waste, construction and sustainable procurement.