Introduction

In light of the occasion of World Environment Day, it is important to acknowledge the transformation of the event, now centred on sustainability, with an expanded definition and broader scope encompassing pressing environmental and climate change concerns. Unfortunately, this growing emphasis on sustainability has given rise to a significant challenge: the phenomenon of “greenwashing.” This term pertains to the dissemination of exaggerated or false claims by organizations regarding their sustainable practices, leading to doubts and skepticism about their true commitment to sustainability.

To confront this issue, the question arises: How can an organization effectively demonstrate its adherence to sustainable practices? The answer lies in independent, third-party verification or certification. Seeking external validation and endorsement can help establish credibility and provide assurance that an organization is genuinely implementing sustainable practices.

Sustainability and its scope

Sustainability has an extensive and diverse scope, encompassing various sectors and practices. It extends from the construction and post-construction maintenance of buildings, whether they are hospitals or hotels, to the adoption of eco-friendly materials like green products to sustainable practices in the operations of say hospitals or hotels.

Internationally, there are numerous certification schemes focusing on sustainability, particularly in areas like textiles or agrifood. Hospitals, for instance, can opt for sustainable or multi use healthcare textiles to align with eco-friendly practices. An excellent compilation of various private certification schemes covering various sectors is available at link

https://www.sustainabilitymap.org/standards?q=eyJzZWxlY3RlZENsaWVudCI6Ik5PIEFGRklMSUFUSU9OIn0%3D

Additionally, there are recognized international standards like ISO 14,001 for Environmental Management and ISO 50,001 for Energy Management, which hospitals can choose to adopt and implement based on their inclination towards certification.

There is an initiative involving biometrics limited to medical devices, which led to the development of a standardized approach for hospital laundries. This standard, developed under the aegis of AMTZ, aims to promote the use of multi-purpose healthcare textiles, including PPEs, as a means of advancing sustainability practices by certifying hospital laundries.

As the above narration would show. there is immense potential for sustainable practices in hospitals.

However, sometimes organizations face challenges in this regard, as there may be a sense of overload with various audits and certifications, leading to “audit fatigue.” Therefore, given multiplicity of standards and certifications available to promote sustainability, the hospitals need to make a careful choice of their focus areas and choose the right standards. Despite these obstacles, it is important to be engaged and committed to addressing sustainability concerns.

To ensure the credibility of sustainable practices, the focus turns to providing credible evidence of adherence. This is where third-party certification or verification plays a crucial role. However, the landscape of third-party certification is not without its challenges. There have been doubts raised concerning the credibility of third-party verification and certification bodies themselves. One of the methods of oversight over such bodies available globally is through ‘accreditation’ as per applicable international standards developed by ISO. In case of certification schemes, the scheme owners also generally rely on accredited third party bodies but supplement the oversight by their own mechanisms of random audits on the ground to verify that standards are implemented properly.

Consequently, as sustainability gains even more prominence, there will likely be mounting pressure not only on organizations like hospitals to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices but also on third-party bodies to demonstrate their credibility in certifying or verifying sustainability practices for these organizations.

Conclusion

As World Environment Day takes on a sustainability-focused approach, it becomes imperative to address the challenges of “greenwashing” and promote genuine sustainable practices. Third-party verification and certification offer a robust solution to providing credible evidence of organizations’ commitment to sustainability. The broad scope of sustainability, ranging from construction practices to eco-friendly materials usage to sustainable practices in operations, underscores the importance of adopting international standards and schemes. While organizations may face hurdles such as “audit fatigue,” the growing emphasis on sustainability demands unwavering dedication. Ultimately, the collective efforts of organizations and third-party bodies will play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable practices and fostering a greener and more

environmentally-conscious future.