The goal of the Decarbonizing Healthcare initiative is to create a framework for the accounting of a hospital system’s Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. With Dr. Meyer and Rho Impact, Jett worked on developing a strong foundation for this framework by conducting Scope 3 GHG accounting for a single healthcare facility, UVA’s Ivy Orthopedic Center. By the end of the summer internship, the team had finalized the project’s boundaries, determined relevant Scope 3 categories, and made great progress in the Scope 3 inventory for the orthopedic center.

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to be so involved in a project that supports decarbonization both in the UVA Health System and in the broader sector of healthcare,” said Jett. “It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Meyer and the Rho Impact team, as well as to connect with faculty, staff, and associates who helped me gather the wide array of data for this project.” 

Jett added: “I learned so much about Scope 3 emissions accounting through my work, both in technical knowledge and in hands-on experience. It is an intensive process, but one that is and will continue to be necessary as we work towards net-zero emissions.”

Rho Impact, which also partnered with the Environmental Institute on a summer climate learning series, is committed to helping the institute inspire innovative solutions for environmental challenges. 

The Environmental Institute internship brought together Meyer, Jett, and Bobbin, shown at the institute's offices.

“We are thrilled to partner with the University of Virginia, which shares our commitment to a net-zero future and has set ambitious sustainability goals. Collaborations like this have the potential for multifaceted impact by identifying ways to reduce emissions, enhance patient and community well-being, and optimize hospital operations,” said Gilman Callsen, CEO of Rho Impact.

Esther Bobbin, who managed the project for Rho Impact as their director of operations, said, “It is clear that with healthcare accounting for nearly 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, our work here can support a healthier future for Charlottesville and beyond. When we were introduced to the work that Dr. Matthew Meyer has been doing, we saw a clear commitment to developing a sustainable, long-term pathway toward decarbonization that can have long-lasting, positive impacts in multiple areas.”

She continued: “We are proud to partner with the University of Virginia, and we are inspired by the steps it is taking to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050. By spearheading the future of hospital decarbonization, this effort has the compounding potential to mitigate the worst outcomes of the climate crisis, improve the health of patients and communities, and to do so in a way that complements a hospital’s operational effectiveness.”

Once the final data points on the pilot study are collected, the team can calculate the emissions, consider the lessons learned from the study, and apply the knowledge gained to the medical center and health system, Dr. Meyer explained. “Barring significant regulatory change in the health sector, decarbonization will only be successful if it aligns with financial goals,” he added. “Working with a company like Rho Impact allows a clinician-researcher like me to elevate sustainability opportunities in the healthcare space and get external validation on their potential.”

The benefit for Decarb Corps interns is extraordinary. “It is empowering for a student to see how problems are addressed and value is created in actual businesses; it is rarely as elegant as it seems when presented retrospectively in case studies,” said Dr. Meyer. “Learning that all successful people are really just working hard, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, and applying those lessons learned to the next step is motivating. I hope these internship experiences inspire the students to take a risk, start their own projects, and work hard to reduce the impact of our economy on our environment.”

“We are excited about this new model of translating research discoveries to solutions in the real world,” said Karen McGlathery, the Sherrell J. Aston Professor of Environmental Sciences and director of the Environmental Institute. “What better way than to involve students who will be our future innovators and leaders? These four projects in the Decarbonization Corps are just the start of what we intend to grow into a sustained program that involves more teams and more external partners.”