We’ve made public environmental commitments, and received recognition for them, to provide sustainable health care and reduce our impacts on climate change – regionally and globally. Some examples:
Environment and Climate Change
Circumstances we’re helping to improve:
Climate change
Taking aim at the long-term impacts of climate change and carbon emissions to create a cleaner future for generations
Sustainability
We want our actions and sustainability model to be a case study, and encourage other health systems to make environmental commitments
Some examples of our efforts:
COMMITTED & RECOGNIZED
Awarded for sustainability performance
Practice Greenhealth has repeatedly recognized UC Davis Health as a national leader in environmental sustainability, including as one of the nation’s top 25 most sustainable hospitals in the organization’s awards for 2026.
UC Davis Health also received five Circles of Excellence awards for food, water, transportation, green building and greening the operating room. Those designations honor up to 10 of the highest performing hospitals nationwide in various areas of sustainability.
UC Davis overall was named the greenest university in the nation for the tenth year in a row in the UI GreenMetric rankings, and the world’s seventh most sustainable university.
Local utility SMUD has also recognized UC Davis Health as its first Clean PowerCity Business Champion. This designation stems from UC Davis Health’s partnership with SMUD in achieving shared sustainability and clean energy goals. UC Davis Health is a regional leader in carbon reduction, with 100% of its SMUD-provided power being carbon-free. UC Davis Health also partnered with SMUD to maximize sustainability in its newest facilities: the Folsom Center for Health and 48X Complex.
COMMITTED & RECOGNIZED
Recognized for climate leadership
UC Davis Health has been recognized by Health Care Without Harm as one of the hospitals and health systems pioneering innovative and effective solutions to mitigate healthcare’s climate footprint and enhance their resilience.
In winter 2023, UC Davis Health earned Health Care Climate Action recognition, including gold honors for climate resilience and silver for climate leadership. In 2022, we were recognized as a Climate Champion in a previous ranking system.
COMMITTED & RECOGNIZED
Green building practices
We’re incorporating green building in the new and expanded patient care facilities we’re constructing in Sacramento and around the region.
For example, we plan to add 640 kilowatts of solar at our new Folsom Medical Office, and 3-5 megawatts for our main Sacramento medical center campus. And our new 48X Complex outpatient surgery center is slated to be LEED Certified, and among the first Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) facilities to be completed in California. The Arbor Day Foundation named UC Davis Health a 2025 Tree Campus for its commitment to using trees and green spaces to support human health, environmental sustainability and broader community well-being.
Also in Sacramento, the Aggie Square project is at the forefront of sustainability, from sustainably powered buildings to drought-resistant landscaping. The groundbreaking project is designed to minimize its carbon footprint and use highly efficient energy systems.
COMMITTED & RECOGNIZED
Cleaner transportation
As one of the region’s largest employers, our green commuter programs help get cars off the road and support employees who choose cleaner options like electric cars and public transit.
For the sixth year in a row, UC Davis Health has been named a Best Workplace for Commuters for 2026. It’s an honor achieved by providing a robust employee commuter benefits program that promotes and supports sustainable transportation methods like walking, biking, public transit or carpooling.
Our medical center campus is also home to more than 90 electric vehicle charging stations, with plans to expand to 215 stations with 410 handles after construction. Electric vehicles also make up nearly 40% of our fleet vehicle inventory.
COMMITTED & RECOGNIZED
Learn more in our virtual sustainability tour
This self-guided StoryMaps walking tour for staff, health professionals, and community members discusses UC Davis Health System’s efforts in reducing emissions, reducing water use, expanding solar energy usage, and more. You can also scroll through the tour virtually without leaving your desk.
More Believe in Better Highlights
Some recent examples of our ongoing efforts to advance health for all.
Internal medicine resident honored for inclusion, equity and service
Nhu Y “Thi” Doan — who recently completed her internal medicine residency — has received the 2026 Dr. Ifeanyi Onyeji Resident/Fellow Inclusive Excellence and Equity Award.
Emergency medicine physician awarded prestigious Fulbright Scholarship
Emergency medicine physician Christine McBeth has received a Fulbright award to improve trauma care in The Gambia through training, research and emergency care system development.
AvenueM: The path from community college to medical school
The UC Davis-led AvenueM pathway delivers hands-on training and mentorship to guide community college students toward medical school and service in underserved regions.
Drug discount program helps UC Davis patients access vital medications
The federal 340B program helps safety-net hospitals like UC Davis Medical Center cut medication costs and expand services for vulnerable patients and the community