The Hospital Clínic Barcelona has been recognized in the Hospital Speciality Services category of the 2026 #PorElClima Healthcare Awards (Sanidad #PorElClima) for the project titled, “Success in Implementing a Strategy to Reduce CO₂, Emissions Impact”, an initiative driven by the DIRAC dialysis centre that demonstrates how environmental protection and reducing climate impact can be integrated effectively into patient care.
The award, presented on 8 October, recognizes a decade of work by a multidisciplinary team focused on reducing the environmental footprint of dialysis. The project has driven measures to optimize water and energy consumption, improve waste management and monitor CO₂ emissions associated with each treatment session, thereby contributing to more efficient and environmentally friendly care.
A recognition for environmental management applied to clinical practice
The #PorElClima Healthcare Awards annually recognize initiatives from the healthcare sector that contribute to the decarbonization of the health system and the integration of environmental criteria into healthcare management. In this fifth edition, more than 80 entries have been submitted from hospitals, primary care centres, specialized services, and healthcare organizations from across Spain.
The award-winning initiative demonstrates that it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of complex, resource-intensive procedures, such as dialysis, without compromising the quality of care or patient safety. On the contrary, it shows how organizational innovation and staff engagement can generate measurable and sustained environmental improvements over time.
A strategy aligned with the Clínic’s commitment to environmental sustainability
This award is part of a wider strategy by the Hospital Clínic Barcelona to incorporate environmental sustainability as one of the pillars of the institution’s transformation. In recent years, the centre has promoted multiple initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental footprint, optimizing the use of resources and moving towards a more responsible care model.
Indeed, the dialysis project now recognized by the #PorElClima Healthcare Awards had already demonstrated outstanding results. As was recently announced, the measures implemented enabled a 22% reduction in CO₂ emissions associated with the dialysis centre’s activities, establishing it as a benchmark experience in reducing the environmental impact of care processes.
This initiative is complemented by other projects driven by the Hospital, such as the environmental improvement plan developed by the Radiology Department to reduce its environmental footprint, and the introduction of iodized contrast recycling, which made the Clínic the first centre in Catalonia to implement this practice, or the recovery of more than one tonne of staff uniforms to promote the circular economy and reduce waste.
All these actions are part of a shared vision: to reduce the environmental impact of hospital activities and advance towards a more sustainable model of care, contributing to the protection of the health of people and the planet. Environmental sustainability is part of the Clínic’s transformation towards more efficient, responsible and prepared healthcare for the challenges of the future.
Health, environment and sustainability: a shared commitment
Climate change is one of the main challenges for global health, and the healthcare sector has a key role to play both in adapting to its effects and in reducing its own environmental footprint. In this context, the Hospital Clínic Barcelona continues to promote initiatives that encourage more environmentally friendly, sustainable, innovative and efficient healthcare.
The recognition given by the #PorElClima Healthcare Awards provides a boost to continue advancing on this path, and highlights the work of the professionals who, from very diverse fields, contribute every day to building a healthcare system capable of caring for people and the planet simultaneously.
