By Stuti Mankodi

In an era where the intersection of health care and environmental responsibility is increasingly critical, Greg Evans stands out as a beacon of sustainable leadership. As the Corporate Director of Sustainability for the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS), Evans has been instrumental in steering Penn Medicine towards a greener future.​ “Reducing our environmental impact isn't just about reducing our carbon footprint and operational efficiency,” he says, “it's a commitment to safeguarding public health now and for future generations.”

A Visionary Journey

Evans’ passion for the environment was ignited early in life, inspired by the first Earth Day and further fueled by his academic pursuits in environmental economics. His professional journey traversed various sectors, including banking and environmental consulting, before he found his true calling in health care sustainability.​ 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Evans earned a sustainability certification from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Recognizing a gap in Penn Medicine’s sustainability initiatives, he proactively proposed and established the role of Corporate Director of Sustainability, a position that has since become pivotal in the health system's green transformation.​

Under Evans’ leadership, Penn Medicine has launched a comprehensive Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP), targeting the health system’s most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes supply chain management, food services, sanitation chemicals, transportation, and new construction projects.​

Key initiatives moving Penn Medicine’s CSAP forward:

• Implementing protocols to eliminate the use of the anesthetic agent desflurane, a potent greenhouse gas, thereby reducing the environmental impact of surgical procedures.​
• Leading the effort to develop a system-wide strategy for Energy Carbon Reduction to meet Penn Medicine’s corporate commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2042.
• Launching an analysis to implement electric vehicle charging infrastructure at all six hospitals and several ambulatory locations.
• Developing policies to reduce single-use plastics in food services and piloting projects that will replace prescription medicine bottles with a more sustainable solution and collect food waste from patient trays and employee cafeterias for composting and a biogas facility.

Beyond infrastructural changes, Evans emphasizes the importance of embedding sustainability into the organizational culture. New employees will soon receive sustainability training during orientation, and ongoing education will ensure that environmental consciousness remains a core value across all levels of the health system. “It’s about building a coalition. Even if reducing a health system’s impact on the environment is indisputable, you need to engage stakeholders at all levels to drive meaningful change,”​ Evans says. 

Inspiring the Next Generation

Evans’ journey underscores the viability and significance of careers in sustainability. His advice to aspiring professionals is straightforward:​ “Get a job and get to work. Start anywhere. There are so many sustainability roles out there. Just getting into a role allows you to be creative and take on leadership opportunities in this evolving field.”