What we do

Milieu Platform Zorg (MPZ) is the national network for sustainability in Dutch healthcare, representing over 350 intramural health care organisations and about 600,000 healthcare professionals.
Our mission: Together for sustainable healthcare.

Our Ambition

For more than three decades, MPZ has supported healthcare institutions in reducing their environmental impact through practical tools, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. We believe that sustainable healthcare is a shared global responsibility. Environmental degradation and climate change are not just ecological issues—they are public health crises.

MPZ aligns closely with the Global Health Hub’s mission to strengthen health systems and promote climate-resilient care. As initiator and active participant in the Green Deal Duurzame Zorg, MPZ brings extensive hands-on experience in embedding sustainability across healthcare organizations.

Our tools—such as the Milieuthermometer Zorg (a sector-specific environmental management system), CO₂ reduction calculator, and guidelines for hazardous substances—are widely adopted in the Netherlands and may inspire similar initiatives internationally.

We also facilitate Communities of Practice on topics such as circular procurement, sustainable mobility, and waste reduction, and have played a key role in shaping national Green Deals in healthcare. These experiences contribute to the Hub’s ambition to foster innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

Together, we can accelerate the transition towards healthcare systems that not only treat illness—but also protect planetary health.

About the Milieuthermometer Zorg

The Milieuthermometer Zorg is a practical tool for healthcare organizations committed to becoming more sustainable—on the path toward climate-neutral and circular operations. This healthcare-specific certification scheme provides clear guidelines for areas such as energy use, waste separation, handling pharmaceutical residues, transportation, and sustainable procurement.

By addressing these topics, organizations can earn a bronze, silver, or gold certificate—demonstrating a serious commitment to sustainability. The certification makes sustainability efforts visible not only internally, but also to clients, patients, visitors, municipalities, health insurers, financiers, and regulators. Certified organizations demonstrably perform better on sustainability than their peers, while the process itself fosters engagement and motivation among staff.

The Milieuthermometer Zorg offers a structured framework that guides both managers and employees—helping sustainability become a natural part of everyday practice.