First in India: Kokilaben Hospital earns JCI Sustainability Distinction
Mumbai: Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute announced that its Mumbai facility has been awarded the Certificate of Distinction for its Healthcare Sustainability Program from Joint Commission International (JCI) in partnership with the International Hospital Federation’s Geneva Sustainability Centre. This high-value distinction positions Kokilaben Hospital as the first Indian hospital and only the fifth worldwide to meet this rigorous global benchmark.
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Healthcare is amongst the top 5 industries in terms of carbon emissions, and this certification comes at a critical time when global healthcare systems are intensifying efforts to reduce operational risk and strengthen resilience against climate-linked disruptions. The achievement is in alignment with expectations from a world-class hospital like Kokilaben, including the growing focus on climate-risk disclosures by healthcare organizations under frameworks such as Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).
Dr. Santosh Shetty, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, highlighted the financial and strategic value, “The certification reflects our core belief that sustainability unlocks both better clinical outcomes and stronger operating performance. Our 2030 Sustainability Roadmap focuses on energy efficiency, water stewardship, low-emission materials, and climate-resilient infrastructure. These investments are designed to reduce long-term cost pressures, improve patient safety, and strengthen business continuity in a city facing increasing climate volatility.”
The JCI–GSC programme specifically recognizes hospitals that embed environmental risk governance at the board level and integrate emissions, waste, water efficiency, and supply-chain sustainability into enterprise risk management. This demonstrates a commitment to robust internal controls and forward-looking management.
India, as a rapidly developing economy with significant infrastructure pressures, faces heightened climate vulnerabilities that increasingly strain public health and hospital systems. With national programmes like the NPCCHH raising expectations around emissions reporting, circularity and disaster preparedness, the healthcare sector is being pushed to adopt stronger climate-resilient practices. Climate-linked disruptions, projected to cost South Asia up to USD 36 billion annually by 2050, make this shift urgent. While many Indian hospitals are still early in embedding environmental governance at a leadership level, Kokilaben Hospital’s alignment with global ESG frameworks marks a decisive step forward. Its JCI Sustainability Certification reflects a level of maturity beyond current national norms, integrating emissions, waste, water and supply-chain sustainability into core risk management. In this context, Kokilaben Hospital emerges as a sector pioneer, demonstrating that responsible, future-ready healthcare is achievable even in resource-stressed environments.
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