Clean air is critical to good health and well-being. When our air becomes too polluted, it affects physical and mental health, diminishes the safety of outdoor physical activity, and it contributes to social isolation by forcing people indoors. Intermountain is investing resources to ensure we keep our air clean. We can all play a part in improving air quality.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Clean (Air) Environments
    • Electric Vehicle Charging: Intermountain currently provides over 80 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across many of its health care sites. The majority of these EV chargers are for staff and community members (clients and visitors) to use. The intent is to encourage the use of cleaner vehicles and thus reduce the amount of air pollutants being put into the air around Intermountain facilities. For more information on the Intermountain EV charging stations, click here.
    • Idle Free Zones: Intermountain supports the creation of idle free zones in drop off / pick up zones at various health care facilities. This will limit the amount of air pollution (carbon dioxide and other pollutants) from being vented from vehicles around the facilities.
  • Partnerships
    • Intermountain partners with UCAIR – the Utah Clean Air Partnership. Learn more about steps you can take at home, at work, and in the community from UCAIR, here, click here.

The objective of the focus on decarbonization and climate resilience is to pursue net-zero carbon through the reduction and the offsetting of the organization’s carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint. In addition, evaluate and act accordingly to the posed risks of climate change on health care facilities and operations.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Decarbonization & Climate Resilience
    • Clean Fleet: Fleet Management is committed to reducing the organization’s fleet related CO2 footprint. In 2018 only 1% of Intermountain Health's fleet was alternative fueled (electric, plug-in/hybrid, or hybrid). With a focus on transitioning initially to hybrid, at the end of 2023, 19% of the fleet was alternative fueled.
    • Clean Anesthetic Gas Usage: Intermountain anesthesiologists have led the way in reducing the organization’s anesthetic gas greenhouse gas footprint. Through a significant reduction in the usage of Desflurane, Intermountain has reduced its anesthetic gas greenhouse gas footprint by 70%.
    • Clean Energy Usage: In 2024, Intermountain saw the completion of the Castle Solar Farm, which resulted in 20 MWh of clean energy being sourced by Intermountain.
    • Clean Commute and Patient Travel: With the adoption of hybrid working, for staff eligible, and promotion of telehealth, Intermountain has significantly reduced the amount of driving done by staff and patients, which results in a cleaner environment.
    • Climate Risk Planning: Intermountain continues to evaluate the growing changes in the climate for the regions served. In this evaluation, the impact on facilities, operations, and community needs is being assessed and plans to mitigate and adapt to these changes is being planned.
  • Partnerships
    • Intermountain Health maintains a close working relationship with Utah Clean Energy and have partnered on several initiatives. For more information of Utah Clean Energy, click here.

The objective of the focus on energy stewardship is to pursue energy use efficiency through mechanical and behavioral minded conservation. Investments, and practices.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Energy Stewardship
    • Intermountain Health is committed to ensuring operations and services are as efficient with energy use as possible. Being efficient with energy usage will not only save the organization money but ensure that any usage of dirtier energy, such as from the burning of coal, is minimized. Work in this area has focused on maintaining an Energy Remote Operations Center (ROC), Lighting Retrofits, HVAC Scheduling, and other mechanical energy efficiency upgrades.
  • Partnerships
    • Intermountain partners with Rocky Mountain Power and its Wattsmart Business Program to make energy conservation upgrades to our hospitals and clinics. Every kilowatt conserved is less energy sourced from the burning of coal. For more information on RMP’s Wattsmart program, click here.

Intermountain recognizes that the land around its facilities should be used to positively impact human and natural health. The objective of regenerative land use is to ensure organizationally owned land is used in a manner that enhances ecological health and wellness through a prioritization of strategies promoting healthy communities and natural biodiversity.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Regenerative Land Use
    • Intermountain promotes various nature-based solutions such as planting monarch butterfly gardens to support the migration of endangered monarch butterflies.
    • Intermountain Health has focused on planting over 100 new trees every year across their various health care campuses.
  • Partnerships
    • Intermountain has partnered with TreeUtah to plant trees across Utah. For more information on TreeUtah, click here.
    • Intermountain has achieved recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation, Tree Campus Healthcare. For more information on Tree Campus Healthcare, click here.

Intermountain Health strives to pursue a work culture and community leadership that supports a mindset and practice of environmental health, sustainability, and resilience.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Sustainability Leadership
    • Intermountain Health has a framework to support staff that want to help ensure their departments and workspaces are as environmentally sustainable as possible.
    • Intermountain Health strives to ensure all new construction projects achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. For more information on LEED, click here.
    • Intermountain Health has joined Practice Greenhealth and strives to show sustainability leadership across the region and nation. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, click here.  

Intermountain Health’s water stewardship objective is to pursue water use efficiency through operational, mechanical, and behavioral focused conservation.

• Taking Action:
  • Supporting Decarbonization
    • Intermountain Health strives to reduce its water consumption through efficient water use, which includes mechanical upgrades, efficient landscape water use – design and smart monitoring, and when it becomes practical, water reuse.
  • Partnerships
    • Intermountain has joined the water conservation H2Oath. For more information on the Water H2Oath, click here.