21 April 2026
If the healthcare sector were a country, it would be the world’s fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, surpassing even the aviation industry. Clinical care and research require energy, sophisticated equipment and complex supply chains, and when that energy is not renewable, the environmental impact is significant.
This was the starting point for RTP’s programme Hora de Agir, which dedicated one of its episodes to carbon neutrality in healthcare, highlighting the path the Champalimaud Foundation is taking to become the first healthcare institution in the world to operate on 100% clean energy. The programme featured João Silveira Botelho, Vice-President of the Champalimaud Foundation, who stressed the urgency of transforming how healthcare consumes energy and resources.
At the Champalimaud Foundation, the commitment to sustainability is part of an integrated vision of health. Delivering excellence in clinical care and advancing cutting-edge research also means taking responsibility for the climate impact of the technologies used, energy choices, and the way services are organised.
In recent years, the Foundation has been implementing an ambitious plan to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, focusing on two key areas: the energy efficiency of clinical equipment and the source of the energy consumed.
In the field of medical imaging, the Champalimaud Foundation has established a strategic partnership with Philips, aiming to reduce by 50% the carbon footprint associated with imaging equipment over a five-year period.
This collaboration involves acquiring more efficient equipment, optimising examination protocols and continuously monitoring energy consumption. The goal is clear: to maintain, and whenever possible improve, the quality and safety of diagnostic procedures, while reducing energy use and, consequently, associated CO2 emissions.
To ensure transparency and robustness, Deloitte has been appointed as an independent body responsible for measuring and validating carbon emissions throughout the entire project, verifying whether the agreed targets are in fact being met.
Through this continuous monitoring, it will be possible to determine, in concrete figures, whether expectations have been fulfilled. In line with these results, the financial terms of the partnership will also be adjusted: the companies will not benefit from the projected 50% reduction if it is not actually achieved in practice.
In parallel, the Champalimaud Foundation has set the goal of becoming the first healthcare institution in the world to operate entirely on renewable energy. To achieve this, it has partnered with Greenvolt to install 1,580 solar panels at its facilities in Lisbon, significantly increasing its capacity to generate clean energy on-site.
This investment in solar power is complemented by electricity supply contracts sourced from renewables, ensuring that all energy consumed - from operating theatres to research units and imaging services - is 100% green.
The Foundation’s energy transition is not merely a technical project; it is an extension of its mission. By reducing its carbon footprint, the institution contributes to mitigating the impact of climate change on public health, reinforcing its commitment to the wellbeing of present and future generations.
As João Silveira Botelho notes, “Environmental issues increasingly - and science confirms this - have a direct impact on people’s health. For an institution like the Champalimaud Foundation, focused on cancer treatment, working towards sustainability is also working towards prevention.”
Being a leading centre in healthcare, science and innovation today means going beyond what happens within laboratories and treatment rooms. It means questioning how energy is produced, how equipment is used, and how we can care for people without harming the planet.
By placing carbon neutrality at the heart of its strategy, the Champalimaud Foundation seeks to demonstrate that it is possible to combine cutting-edge technology, advanced clinical care and environmental responsibility.
In a sector that contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, initiatives such as partnerships with Philips and Greenvolt point the way forward: towards a more sustainable model of healthcare, where innovation and climate action are no longer at odds but instead reinforce one another.
