Embracing sustainability in healthcare

A key theme at EuroMedLab 2025 is sustainability, which has become a high priority across all industries, but its significance in the healthcare industry is particularly important. Healthcare systems strive to deliver high-quality care but face challenges, particularly in the diagnostic laboratory environment where energy consumption, waste management, and day-to-day operations are resource-intensive. 

Addressing sustainability in healthcare requires more than incremental changes - it demands a systematic shift and multi-stakeholder collaboration. From reducing carbon emissions to ensuring equitable access to care, the definition of sustainability in healthcare is broad therefore, efforts must align with broader societal goals while maintaining high standards of patient care and innovation.¹

The increasing burden of chronic and infectious diseases, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic disparities necessitate a shift toward innovative, preventive, green, and equitable healthcare solutions. We have to think and behave differently, from how we preserve precious resources, to the elimination of substances of very deep concern, and to think creatively about how to build a more circular economy with product materials and solutions based on reuse, repurposing, and recycling, and maximizing the life of every component.²

Addressing sustainability will not be easy; climate change, biodiversity, geopolitical tensions, and communities that currently lack access to quality care will require focus and effort. Climate change is already impacting global health, increasing disease burdens, and affecting access to care. The loss of biodiversity threatens the ecosystems that support human well-being, while geopolitical conflicts and economic inequalities create disparities in healthcare access. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration between governments, healthcare providers, and the private sector, as well as a commitment to policies that promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability across the healthcare industry.³

Roche’s comprehensive sustainability strategy addresses all dimensions of sustainability and establishes clear priorities to create long-term societal and financial value. We are taking action to integrate sustainability into everything we do and focus on six areas where we can have the most impact:⁴

1. Increasing access to healthcare innovation – Expanding access to diagnostics and treatments to ensure equitable healthcare delivery.
2. Promoting health equity for all – Ensuring better health outcomes for all patients, from comprehensive clinical trial populations, better access to innovations for all patients, and improved quality of life globally.
3. Building & fostering an inclusive workforce – Fostering a workforce that embraces diversity of thought and perspective contributes to healthy debate and sharing of ideas to fuel innovation and success.
4. Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions – Investing in sustainable operations, renewable energy, and carbon reduction strategies to mitigate environmental impact.
5. Sustainability in product lifecycles – Integrating sustainability throughout product development, from sourcing to manufacturing and end-of-life management.
6. Biodiversity and Water Management – Implementing policies to protect natural ecosystems, reduce water consumption, and promote responsible resource use.

These principles reflect a broader industry movement toward sustainable healthcare transformation, ensuring that future advancements align with both medical and environmental priorities.²

Sustainability in healthcare is not a short-term goal but a long-term commitment. Over the next decade, sustainability will shape the healthcare industry through:⁵

• Integration of AI and digital solutions, improving efficiency while reducing waste and resource consumption.
• Greater collaboration among healthcare providers, governments, and technology innovators.
• Investment in green technologies, renewable energy, and circular economy models in healthcare operations.
• Stronger regulations driving accountability and sustainability benchmarks for healthcare organizations.
• A shift toward preventative care, reducing the environmental and financial burdens of reactive treatments.

Additionally, digital health innovations such as telemedicine and AI-driven diagnostics will play a key role in sustainability by reducing the need for physical infrastructure and optimizing patient care pathways. Personalized medicine, which tailors treatments based on genetic profiles and lifestyle factors, can also minimize the overuse of medical resources and improve treatment efficiency.⁶

Furthermore, sustainable healthcare will be shaped by consumer demand and societal expectations. Patients and stakeholders are increasingly valuing organizations that prioritize sustainability, prompting healthcare companies to adopt greener practices to maintain their reputation and competitiveness. Roche is implementing the first-ever IVD ecolabel (ACT Environmental Label, through MyGreenLab.org) for its  LightCycler® PRO, with further plans to introduce the ACT Label to our broader portfolio of PCR-based molecular reagents and consumables in 2025.⁷ This achievement will help inform procurement decisions by giving a quantifiable measurement of the environmental impact of an individual product.

According to Silke Hörnstein, Head of Corporate Strategy and Sustainability at Roche, sustainability is deeply embedded in the company's history and culture: “It is essential for our future success.”

Barend van Bergen, Roche's Chief Sustainability Officer, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that “We are thus committed to collaborating beyond Roche to drive systemic change.” This reflects the broader need for long-term investment and collective efforts across industries to achieve meaningful sustainability outcomes.⁴

Silke further adds: “Sustainability is a broad societal issue, and we will do our part. It is crucial for our long-term success and is thus a long-term commitment for us, with many milestones to reach along the way. Advances in technology, careful prioritization of resources, and entirely new levels of collaboration are needed.” One of Roche’s major milestones includes achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2045.⁴

Barend reinforces this perspective, stating: “It won’t be easy, for anyone. It will require focus, investment, and wide-scale change, which takes time in our highly regulated industry. But we are prepared to make the right decisions and invest wisely.” This underscores the importance of long-term commitment and strategic investments in achieving sustainability goals.⁴

Sustainability in the healthcare industry is an ongoing journey, and achieving meaningful change requires collective action. By integrating sustainability into daily operations and long-term strategies, the healthcare industry can drive positive change while ensuring continued innovation and quality care.

Healthcare executives, policymakers, and industry leaders must collaborate to create a healthcare system that is financially viable, environmentally responsible, and socially equitable.