Climate change has ever been a priority. The UK’s National Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) notes that its effects are becoming more pronounced. Climate change is everyone’s problem, and businesses have been trying to get a carbon-neutral point for almost a decade now. Kaiser Permanente, the most extensive integrated, nonprofit healthcare system in the US, has announced that it achieved this goal. This milestone makes it the United States’ first healthcare system to get to a carbon-neutral status.
What is Carbon Neutral Status?
Vox informs us that carbon neutral means that a company is removing the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere as it’s adding to it. It’s the most significant step in achieving sustainable operations, and many companies are looking at it as a viable way to contribute to the climate change equation. Kaiser Permanente is one of the most massive businesses in the US, being the country’s most prominent healthcare provider. Their shift towards a carbon-neutral status is a win for the company in the ever-present fight against global warming and climate change. The carbon-neutral level means that the organization has removed 800,000 tonnes of carbon annually from the world’s environment that it would have been responsible for creating. That’s the equivalent of removing 175,000 cars from the nation’s roads.
Why is Carbon Neutrality Important?
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. This classification means that it helps trap incoming radiation from the sun inside the earth’s atmosphere, raising the surface temperature. In recent years, humans have contributed to a massive amount of carbon to the atmosphere in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Carbon neutrality means that a company’s net contribution to the atmosphere is zero. There’s no increase in carbon dioxide and a lesser impact on the global warming phenomenon that’s threatening climates worldwide. Companies like Kaiser Permanente contribute to global warming with MRI imaging, which consumes a massive volume of electricity to run. The company’s dedication to reducing their carbon footprint is likely to significantly impact the country’s commitment to ending the global warming threat.
A Small Step
Humanity has a long way to go if they are to reign in the problem of climate change. Developed nations are doing their part, but the real contributors to the problem are multinationals. Industrial output in developing countries in Asia, like China and India, is even more devastating to the climate change problem. While Kaiser Permanente has done its part in limiting its output, many other companies need to follow in its footsteps. In developing nations, the business world doesn’t see the need to curtail their contribution to what is now a global catastrophe waiting to happen. They think that it doesn’t affect them directly. Corporate responsibility from these industrial companies and enforcement of international treaties by governments need to take precedence if we are to avoid this problem. If not, we might find that the world we live in will be a much bleaker place, all thanks to being unable to control our carbon output.