SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT

Empowering People to Take Sustainable Steps

Everyday Choices at UPMC Are Advancing Health, Sustainability, and Community Impact

April 2026

Sustainability can feel like a global challenge, but at UPMC, meaningful progress is built through everyday actions supported by education, partnerships, and data. From the food we serve to how we travel and care for our communities, UPMC’s sustainability efforts empower individuals while delivering measurable environmental and health benefits. Together, these initiatives reflect a broader commitment to caring for people, communities, and the planet.

At UPMC, sustainability is understood as a driver of the social and environmental determinants of health, the conditions that shape health long before a patient enters a clinical setting. Factors such as air quality, access to nutritious food, safe transportation, and neighborhood infrastructure all influence health outcomes, recovery, and quality of life. Examples of social determinants of health include transportation related pollution and food security. By addressing these determinants of health, UPMC extends care beyond hospital walls, recognizing that prevention begins in the environments where people live, work, and move every day.

Food systems play a significant role in global emissions and human health. UPMC takes a comprehensive approach to food sustainability by considering sourcing practices, seasonality, reductions in highemission foods such as meat and dairy, and foodwaste prevention.

As part of this commitment, 11 UPMC hospitals have signed onto the Cool Food Pledge, which sets a goal to reduce food related carbon emissions by 25% by 2030. This work is supported by food purchasing information that helps track emissions and identify opportunities for improvement. In addition, five UPMC cafeterias have earned Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant designations, reflecting leadership in sustainable operations across the region.

Food access is another foundational determinant of health. Food insecurity and poor nutrition are linked to chronic disease and recovery outcomes. Through food donation programs, UPMC reduces food waste while increasing access to nutritious meals for people in need. In 2025, UPMC donated 80,593 pounds of food, ensuring surplus meals support community wellbeing rather than contributing to landfill waste. These efforts strengthen food security while reducing methane emissions associated with wasted food.

Nourishing Our Communities is UPMC’s annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness about food insecurity and its impact on health across the communities we serve. The campaign highlights the connection between access to nutritious food and longterm health outcomes, encouraging employees and partners to consider how everyday actions can make a meaningful difference. By bringing visibility to food insecurity as a critical social determinant of health, Nourishing Our Communities reinforces UPMC’s commitment to caring for people beyond clinical settings and strengthening community wellbeing through education, engagement, and collective action. The campaign fundraises donations for partner organizations and provides employees with volunteer opportunities.

Behind these efforts are employees who are deeply passionate about reducing food waste and environmental impact, demonstrating how individual engagement drives systemwide progress.

Everyone’s transportation decisions influence environmental impact and community health. UPMC supports loweremission transportation through infrastructure investments, including 123 electric vehicle charging ports across the system, making electric vehicles charging stations more accessible for staff, patients, and visitors.

In Oakland, 59 UPMC shuttle buses are powered by methane captured from a local landfill, transforming a potent greenhouse gas into a cleaner fuel source. This initiative highlights how innovation and partnerships can reduce emissions while maintaining reliable transportation.

Beyond physical infrastructure investments, community partnerships and expanded opportunities can also play a role in mitigating transportation-related emissions. Like BikePGH, they support safer biking and walking through education, advocacy, and community events like OpenStreetsPGH. These efforts reduce barriers to physical activity, support cleaner air, and improve neighborhood safety, demonstrating how transportation choices directly influence health and equity.

Together with community partners like BikePGH, these efforts reinforce the idea that transportation is not just about mobility, it is a determinant of health that shapes air quality, safety, and access.

Sustainability at UPMC is not about perfection—it’s about progress. That progress is powered by employees, partners, and communities working together to make healthier choices possible. By aligning everyday actions with education, partnerships, and data, UPMC continues to build a healthier future for people and the planet.