What is Climate Change? Climate change is any significant change in measures of climate, such as temperature, precipitation and wind patterns, over several decades or longer. Climate change happens slowly over time and is different than weather, which changes frequently. It occurs naturally in up-and-down cycles that last approximately 10,000 years. Modern human activity has significantly affected the rate and magnitude of this natural climate change, primarily through the consumption of fossil fuels.

SIGN UP TODAY Inova Sustainability Newsletter This newsletter provides monthly updates on Inova sustainability initiatives. Expect short briefings on current projects and ways to get involved! If you don't see the subscribe button below, try using incognito mode or a different browser. If this problem persists, email gogreen@inova.org and we'll sign you up manually. Email Address* Submit      

Inova encourages patients, visitors and team members to participate in our sustainability efforts. Each year our care sites host a variety of events to help our team members and communities share in our efforts to protect health by protecting the environment. Sustainability Events Include: Annual Earth Day celebrations with native trees giveaway Annual Bike To Work Day celebrations in partnership with local county governments Regular stream clean-ups in partnership with environmental NGOs Field trips to recycling and waste management facilities

Part of Inova's mission is to protect the health of the diverse community we serve. But in doing so, we create a variety of downstream health impacts stemming from the resources we use, the products we purchase and the waste we create.

Inova’s alternative transportation strategies contribute to healthier air quality, benefitting the health of our patients, visitors, team members, communities and our environment. Popular modes of alternative transportation utilized by Inova team members include carpooling, taking the Metro or bus, biking or walking, and teleworking. What we've been up to lately: Bike to Work Day/Commuting Challenge - This year, we challenged team members to try a different form of transportation during the month of June. Many team members joined the challenge and submitted selfies as evidence!

Energy Efficiency Inova believes that energy conservation is vital to community health as reductions in energy use results in less air pollution, contributing to better health outcomes.

Healthy Buildings Evidence-based building design, deliberate selection of construction materials, and green building operations can all have a beneficial impact on the healing environment. At Inova, the pursuit of environmentally friendly buildings ensures that we’re not only protecting our patients and team members, but also investing in our future. Inova adheres to the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification guidelines for new buildings and major renovations.

Sustainable Foods Inova provides our patients, team members and visitors with healthy food choices while supporting the production efforts of local farmers. We are proud to be a leading system in this focus area! The main focus of our sustainable food program is to promote local, seasonal and sustainably-produced foods. What we've been up to lately: Inova CSA - Our CSA is available to both team members AND community members! Inova partners with local farmers to deliver fresh produce/fruit/meat/dairy directly to your door or to one of 5 Inova locations.