The built environment influences health. A host of contemporary environmental health problems – climate change, toxic pollution, biodiversity loss and more – can be linked to the production and maintenance of the built environment.
As development accelerates in many regions, the production of buildings becomes more resource intensive, stressing local and indigenous building material supplies and methodologies beyond their sustainable capacities.
The health sector has the potential, through its market power, to influence the construction industry to develop safer, more resilient, greener and healthier building products and systems.
The significant environmental and health impacts associated with hospital buildings have led to the creation and adoption of a wide variety of “green building” tools and resources related to healthcare.
