PHSA has been honoured with the FortisBC Efficiency in Action Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts in energy efficiency and emissions reduction. This award celebrates organizations that are leading the way in saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting safety across British Columbia. PHSA's consistent commitment to energy efficiency, low carbon resilience and environmental stewardship over the years has earned them this accolade.
Unlike many awards that recognize a specific project, the FortisBC Efficiency in Action Award acknowledges PHSA's sustained dedication to energy efficiency across its building portfolio. The award highlights the organization's collaborative efforts, partnerships, and innovative solutions in addressing energy consumption and carbon emissions, as well as the significant amount of incentive dollars secured for investing in low carbon resilience infrastructure. In 2023, PHSA was one of 11 B.C. organizations, and the only health authority, to receive this esteemed award.
Collaboration is key to PHSA's success, according to Ghazal Ebrahimi, energy and carbon emissions manager at PHSA.
"We're always looking for energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction opportunities across our building portfolio," she says. “Identifying those opportunities and seeking solutions in a complex setting, such as the health care sector, can only be done through collaborative efforts and making meaningful partnerships."
PHSA's ongoing energy efficiency and emissions reduction projects, in partnership with FortisBC, have been pivotal in taking bold steps towards our climate targets. Over the past five years, PHSA has secured more than $3.5 million in incentives through the Custom Efficiency Program from FortisBC alone. This funding supports low carbon resilience related studies and capital projects across multiple facilities, such as those at BC Cancer - Vancouver, BC Cancer - Victoria, BC Children's Hospital, and BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre. These energy-efficiency and low carbon resilience upgrades are projected to remarkably reduce fossil fuel use at our facilities contributing significantly to PHSA's energy use and carbon emissions reduction goals. For example, the ongoing infrastructure upgrade at BC Cancer - Vancouver is projected to save more than 13,000 gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas per year.
The FortisBC Efficiency in Action Award signifies a well-deserved recognition of PHSA's contributions towards creating a low carbon resilient and environmentally conscious health-care system. The award's selection criteria were based on organizations that displayed exceptional efforts in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. PHSA stood out among other nominees due to its leadership, innovation, and dedication to sustainability. Ghazal notes,
“With our aging infrastructure and the fact that many of our facilities need to stay open 24/7, it's not easy to do these retrofits." Elizabeth Manhas, key account manager at FortisBC, recognized PHSA's outstanding progress and nominated the health authority for the award.
Looking ahead, PHSA is committed to further integrating a planetary health lens into strategic planning and operations. This commitment includes reducing facilities energy use intensity by 30 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, compared to a 2007 baseline. They are also conducting multiple energy and emissions studies across several sites to find more opportunities for low carbon resilience infrastructure upgrades. By focusing on energy efficiency and carbon management, PHSA aims to achieve their climate targets while maintaining operational efficiency and providing quality health-care services to the communities across the province.
With this award, PHSA raises the bar, setting a new benchmark for low-carbon operations and climate resilience in B.C. health facilities.
