Global Self-Care Federation

The Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) is dedicated to a world where self-care increasingly contributes to better health and more sustainable healthcare systems. Increasingly, it is evident that better health outcomes for individuals is linked to better planetary health. In order to drive our commitment & action on environmental sustainability in self-care, we launched the Charter for Environmentally Sustainable Self-Care in 2021. Key pillar of this charter are:

- Plastics & Packaging, wherein our members aim to reduce plastics in packaging wherever feasible, promote the adoption of circular design principles, redefine products from design to end-of-life, and proactively work with partners across the value chain to innovate packaging solutions and improve recycling infrastructure. Our vision and position on sustainable packaging can be found here.

- Pharmaceuticals in the Environment, within this pillar, our membership aims at managing and reducing effluent discharge from manufacturing plants, educate consumers on safe disposal of pharmaceuticals and promote the use of take-back schemes, where they exist and finally come together on issues related to PIE

- CO2 Footprint, wherein we are working towards reducing scope 3 emissions and encouraging our members to reduce carbon emissions through Science-Based Targets (SBTs) to keep warming below 1.5°C degrees above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. To this, we have developed a CO2 footprint questionnaire for the supply chain and a GHG emissions reduction guidance document.

Supporting the following commitments:

• Conduct climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&As) at population level and/or health care facility level.
• Develop a health national adaptation plan (HNAP) informed by the health V&A, which forms part of the National Adaptation Plan.
• Use the V&A and HNAP to facilitate access to climate change funding for health.
• Set a target date by which to achieve health systems net zero emissions (ideally by 2050).
• Deliver a baseline assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of the health system (including supply chains).
• Develop an action plan or roadmap by a set date to develop a sustainable low carbon health system (including supply chains).

Country experience:

1,4,5,6

Links:

Site in English: https://www.selfcarefederation.org/