-Towards Low-Carbon Healthcare-

The Hospital actively responds to Taiwan's 2050 Net-Zero Emissions policy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), viewing low-carbon healthcare as a critical direction for sustainable operations. Recognizing that healthcare institutions are energy- and resource-intensive environments, the Hospital has initiated greenhouse gas inventories to progressively construct a low-carbon healthcare system that balances medical quality, operational resilience, and environmental responsibility.

• Navigating Net-Zero

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

We officially launched our greenhouse gas inventory project in 2025, covering the Inpatient Building, Outpatient Building, Electromechanical Building, Medical Staff Housing Building, the Information Technology Office on the 3rd floor of the College of Medicine, and the Mental Health Center. Regarding boundary setting, the 7th and 8th floors of the Outpatient Building, which belong to the College of Medicine campus, as well as 12 on-site commercial entities with independent business registrations (such as 7-Eleven and Starbucks), have been excluded. In 2025, total emissions amounted to 30,658.56 metric tons of CO2e, with Category 1 accounting for 12.12% and Category 2 (indirect emissions) accounting for 87.88% of the total. The Hospital expects to obtain third-party ISO 14064-1 verification in 2026, utilizing these data as the core foundation for formulating future carbon reduction pathways and management strategies.

Inventory Locations	Emission Categories	2025
NCKUH	Scope 1	3,716.61	12.12%
	Scope 2	26,941.95	87.88%
	Scope 1+ Scope 2	30,658.56	100%
	Organization-Specific Metrics:Floor Area (m²)	209,149.30
	Emission intensity (tons of CO₂e/floor area m²)	0.16
Notes: The emission calculation parameters utilized are calculated with reference to the original coefficients published in the 2021 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (CO2 = 1, CH4 = 28, N2O = 265) and the coefficients announced by the Ministry of the Environment. Therefore, the emission factors applied throughout this report all reference the "Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors" published by the Ministry of the Environment.

Energy Management

In 2025, total energy consumption amounted to 232,943.66 GJ, with an energy intensity of 1.11 GJ/m². Electricity constituted the vast majority of energy consumption, accounting for 87.80% of the total. To sustain hospital operations, the primary sources of electricity consumption originated from air conditioning and lighting systems, high-precision medical equipment, laboratory facilities, and core information network infrastructure.

 

Net-Zero Pathway Planning and Reduction Practices

The essence of healthcare lies in safeguarding life, and carbon reduction is the most direct practice of safeguarding the planet. The Hospital not only protects lives on the frontline of healthcare but also actively drives carbon reduction actions throughout its backend operations. In addition to introducing the ISO 14064-1 greenhouse gas inventory standard to identify carbon emission hotspots and enhance energy efficiency, the Hospital has implemented multiple concrete measures to achieve energy conservation and carbon reduction, thereby minimizing unnecessary energy and resource waste. While elevating operational efficiency, these efforts simultaneously balance medical quality with environmental sustainability, enabling a steady transition toward a low-carbon healthcare system.

2025 Energy-Saving and Carbon-Reduction Initiatives Performance
Item	Practices
YouBike Carbon Reduction Wallet App	By integrating digital tools with sustainability initiatives, the Hospital encourages our staff to practice environmental protection using low-carbon solutions. As of the end of December, the campaign has garnered 448 participant-times, resulting in a significant reduction of 2.67 metric tons of CO2. Captivated by this notable impact, iPASS Corporation proactively initiated discussions with the Hospital regarding the "iPASS Green Point Program." This upcoming collaboration is expected to integrate environmental sustainability and green consumer cycles into every aspect of our employees' daily lives—including food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment—thereby achieving various sustainability targets through a mutually reinforcing synergy among industry, government, and academia.
Streamlined Living, Sustainable Journey	In the second half of 2025, in response to the Green Office Initiative launched by the Ministry of the Environment, the Hospital completed a comprehensive extension cord reduction inventory, removing a cumulative total of 74 redundant power strips. Notably, the top three performing departments achieved a 25% carbon reduction efficiency, demonstrating the tangible benefits of lowering carbon emissions through behavioral and habitual changes.
Replacement with LED Panel Lights	The Hospital continues to advance its hospital-wide lighting system replacement project, comprehensively upgrading traditional light fixtures to high-efficiency LED panel lights. In 2025, a total of 1,850 fixtures were replaced, which is estimated to save approximately 310,224 kWh of electricity annually, translating to an annual carbon reduction of approximately 144.87 metric tons of CO2e (calculated based on the 2025 electricity carbon emission factor of 0.000467 tCO2/kWh).
Air Conditioning System Replacement	The Hospital participated in the "2025 Energy Service Company (ESCO) Energy Efficiency Guarantee Project" initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, comprehensively replacing ageing air conditioning facilities in patient wards and operating rooms. By introducing high-efficiency fan motors, the Hospital significantly enhanced cooling efficiency and airflow stability. This initiative is estimated to save up to 974,218 kWh of electricity annually, translating to a carbon reduction of approximately 454.96 metric tons of CO2e (calculated based on the 2025 electricity carbon emission factor of 0.000467 tCO2/kWh).
Healthy Vegetarian Meal Promotion	The Minsheng Square actively promotes a low-carbon, plant-based culinary culture, encouraging our staff and the public to practice carbon reduction through their daily diets. In 2025, the promotion of low-carbon, plant-based meals successfully achieved a cumulative reduction of 14.58 metric tons of CO2e.
Data-Driven Energy Management	The Hospital deployed smart meters alongside an intelligent Energy Efficiency Management System (EEMS) to quantify and transparently visualize carbon emission data, serving as the critical cornerstone for evidence-based energy conservation decisions.
Adoption of Digital Meal Coupons	The Department of Nutrition, in collaboration with the Information Technology Office, developed a proprietary mobile application to replace approximately 40,000 paper meal vouchers annually with electronic vouchers. This initiative successfully reduced carbon emissions by 0.10 metric tons of CO2e while simultaneously streamlining administrative workflows, saving 99.6 hours of labor time.

 

• 2025 Annual Execution Results of Strategic Objectives

 

S3-3 Energy Saving Measures
Annual Goals	Implementation Status	Target Achievement
Replace 1,500 light fixtures per year	Total replacement of 1,850 lighting fixtures	〇

iHMS Cross-System Integration Project

The Hospital’s existing facilities (including the Medical and Nursing Building, Electromechanical Center, Outpatient Building, and Inpatient Building) were constructed during different eras using disparate equipment brands. Consequently, they now face challenges stemming from inconsistent electromechanical communication standards and fragmented software systems. To address the operational pain point where staff must constantly toggle between multiple software interfaces, this project establishes the iHMS (Intelligent Hospital Management System) as its core. Utilizing a vertical integration architecture that combines platform-to-platform interfaces with direct equipment connectivity, the system achieves backward compatibility with existing legacy equipment across various brands and eras, while simultaneously delivering a single-pane-of-glass management interface at the top tier. This successfully realizes the fluid circulation and full transparency of electromechanical data across the entire hospital.

Adopting a strategic pathway of "Prioritizing Core Energy Systems with Year-by-Year and Tier-by-Tier Implementation," this project will be deployed in three distinct phases to achieve a unified, centralized system across the entire hospital infrastructure:

Phase	Practices
Phase 1: First Half of 2026	Focuses on integrating power generation systems and high-energy-consuming equipment, such as heat pumps and power supply facilities in the Electromechanical Center and Inpatient Building. This phase aims to lock in core energy data to establish a monitoring foundation for the Energy Management System (EMS).
Phase 2: Second Half of 2026	Incorporates elevator systems across all hospital buildings into the centralized iHMS monitoring system to track vertical mobility status. This initiative not only enhances safety maintenance efficiency but also paves the way for advanced future applications, such as optimizing medical logistics flow and implementing smart elevator dispatching.
Phase 3: 2027	Fully integrates systems across all buildings—including  air conditioning, fire safety, and refrigeration units—completing the final piece of the puzzle for hospital-wide intelligent management.

Through the vertical integration of the iHMS platform, National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) not only elevates its administrative and operational efficiency but also gains precise control over energy consumption data, thereby fulfilling its steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability and smart healthcare.

• Green Circular Economy Practices

Material Circularity

On April 21, National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) forged a strategic partnership with NK Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd and PackAge+, officially signing a cooperation agreement on sustainable circular packaging. Leading the sector in green medical logistics, this cross-industry alliance spearheaded a "Zero-Waste Medical Box" green revolution. By deploying circular logistics boxes crafted from recycled materials and integrating a digital carbon-tracking platform, this initiative extends carbon reduction efforts from the manufacturing stage directly to the transportation phase, completing the critical last mile of green logistics.

Throughout this green transformation process, the Hospital shifted from a passive recipient to a proactive driver. The Department of Pharmacy spearheaded the initiative, serving as the central hub for the implementation of the circular boxes. To ensure the seamless integration of this innovative logistics model, the hospital team systematically evaluated campus traffic flows and custom-designed tailored circular recycling workflows for various scenarios. These efforts successfully facilitated a friction-free adoption of circular logistics boxes across the campus, substantially cutting down the waste of single-use medical packaging materials. As of the end of 2025, the boxes have been utilized for a cumulative total of 112 cycles, achieving a carbon reduction of 0.21 metric tons of CO2e, which represents a decrease of approximately 16% in associated carbon emissions.

This collaboration goes beyond environmental protection, extending its impact to the realization of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Hospital specifically engaged with local sheltered workshops in Southern Taiwan, entrusting these social welfare organizations with the cleaning, disinfection, and refurbishment of the circular boxes. This initiative creates stable employment opportunities and fosters self-confidence for local vulnerable groups, successfully transforming supply chain governance into a powerful driver for community engagement and achieving a win-win outcome for both environmental sustainability and public welfare.

Rent-to Own Model

The Hospital actively implements the “Rent-to-own“ model to realize comprehensive lifecycle asset management. Currently, a parallel approach of equipment leasing and integrated consumables procurement has been adopted for printers, copiers, and select laboratory testing equipment, effectively mitigating resource waste caused by premature technology replacement. Furthermore, this leasing strategy is being progressively extended to high-end medical technologies, including hemodialysis machines, radiation therapy systems, and robotic surgery platforms. This shift not only aligns with regulatory orientations but also demonstrates the Hospital’s tangible transition from traditional procurement to a circular economy, embodying a steadfast commitment to sustainable governance.

Waste Management

The Hospital (NCKUH) highly values both the upstream and downstream segments of its value chain. Through source reduction and green procurement measures, the Hospital mitigates the environmental burden imposed by upstream inputs; simultaneously, it actively collaborates with downstream processors to ensure the legality and environmental safety of all waste disposal. In 2025, NCKUH’s operations generated a total of 2,101.10 metric tons of waste, which is categorized into two major classes: non-hazardous waste and hazardous industrial waste. Non-hazardous waste comprises general municipal waste and recyclable materials. General waste is collected and transported by certified environmental contractors to incineration plants managed by the Tainan City Government. Recyclable and reusable waste materials are entrusted to recycling organizations or recovery operators approved by the Environmental Protection Bureau. The resource recovery and reuse rate reached 22.95%, demonstrating the Hospital’s initial success in resource circularity.

Hazardous industrial waste primarily consists of biomedical waste. The Hospital mandates that all waste clearance contractors must possess a Class A (or higher) waste disposal permit. Furthermore, in strict compliance with the Methods and Facilities Standards for the Storage, Clearance, and Disposal of Industrial Waste promulgated by the Ministry of the Environment, contractors must utilize certified vehicles and equipment for transport, with ultimate disposal carried out at ministry-approved incinerators or melting furnaces. This rigorous process ensures that waste management fully complies with legal requirements and environmental safety standards. Through implementing waste separation audits and increasing the number of recycling stations, the output of biomedical waste in 2025 was reduced by 32.51 metric tons compared to the previous year, achieving a significant reduction rate of 8.8%.

 

• 2025 Annual Execution Results of Strategic Objectives

 

S3-1 Waste Reduction and Recycling
Annual Goals	Implementation Status	Target Achievement
Reduce biological and medical waste by 10% compared to 2024, and achieve a waste recycling and reuse rate of 20%.	Achieved, 12.9% Reduction in Biomedical Waste and a 21.86% recycling rate for waste resources.	〇

• Green Procurement

As a public medical institution, National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) actively responds to policies enacted by the Ministry of the Environment, strictly adhering to the Government Procurement Act and relevant priority procurement regulations by incorporating environmental, energy-saving, and water-saving certifications into its institutionalized management system. To optimize procurement evaluation performance, the Hospital has adopted a forward-looking strategy: maximizing compliance rates for "designated procurement items," while introducing internationally certified products and circular equipment for "non-designated items." Furthermore, in response to the Ministry of the Environment's new regulatory mandate requiring a 7% threshold, the Hospital has proactively guided contractors to establish reporting mechanisms. Moving forward, NCKUH plans to formally integrate green performance into bid selection criteria and contractual specifications during future tendering processes, comprehensively expanding the breadth and depth of its sustainable procurement.

All suppliers and labor contractors partnering with the Hospital are verified to ensure they are not blacklisted as suspended suppliers by the Public Construction Commission of the Executive Yuan. The Hospital mandates 100% compliance from contractors regarding the Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and Gender Equality in Employment Act, strictly prohibiting any form of discrimination based on gender, indigenous identity, physical or mental disability, or vulnerable status. Throughout the contract period, contractors are required to enroll their personnel in Labor Insurance, Employment Insurance, and National Health Insurance, as well as contribute to Labor Pension funds. For projects involving construction or installation, contractors are additionally required to secure Employer’s Liability Insurance. In the event of a breach of contract, the Hospital reserves the right to rescind or terminate the agreement in accordance with contractual terms and report the supplier to the Government Procurement Net as a blacklisted contractor. In 2025, a total of 612 suppliers were awarded contracts under the Government Procurement Act, achieving a 100% local procurement rate.

Year		2023		2024		2025
Item		Number of Vendors	Amount	Number of Vendors	Amount	Number of Vendors	Amount
Project	Domestic	3	55,779,999	11	1,093,248,200	11	9,541,000,855
	Foreign	0	0	0	0	0	0
Financial	Domestic	497	380,491,869,547	483	140,315,752,392	484	468,154,942,559
	Foreign	1	221,382	0	0	1	803,740
Labor Services	Domestic	99	1,438,789,836	121	450,481,138	115	681,878,259
	Foreign	1	1,048,605	0	0	1	1,240,800
Total		601	381,987,709,369	615	141,859,481,730	612	478,379,866,213

The Hospital has consistently delivered outstanding results in green procurement evaluations. Between 2023 and 2025, the achievement rate for "designated procurement items" approached near-perfection. The total scores over the past three years mirror the Hospital’s relentless efforts and exceptional management capabilities in implementing environmental policies.

In addition to prioritizing the procurement of eco-friendly products, the Hospital actively drives the digitization and paper-reduction of its procurement processes. It has comprehensively deployed an electronic requisition system for routine consumables and continues to promote the "Electronic Invoicing and Delivery" mechanism to minimize the printing needs for physical invoices, debit/credit memos, and delivery slips. By streamlining administrative verification and write-off workflows while curbing paper consumption, this initiative not only boosts operational efficiency but also further operationalizes low-carbon administration and sustainable management goals.

Year	2023	2024	2025
Green Procurement Amount	33,031,217 Dollars	18,552,223 Dollars	38,258,528 Dollars
Designated Procurement Items Achievement Rate	100%	100%	99.75%
Green Procurement Performance Evaluation Score	95.1 points	99.3 points	100 points

• 2025 Annual Execution Results of Strategic Objectives

S3-2 Green Procurement
Annual Goals	Implementation Status	Target Achievement
❶ Property Section: Agency Green Procurement Performance Evaluation achieved 95% for the year ❷ Project Section: Over 70% of water-based cement paint and exposed mineral fiber ceiling tiles used were products with Green Building Material Labels	❶ Property Section: 100% for the year ❷ Project Section: 70% use of Green Building Material Label products	〇