[The environmentally friendly hospital : Perspectives and practical examples for urology]

The healthcare sector is one of the most resource-intensive industries in modern societies, contributing substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and waste generation. The concept of the environmentally friendly hospital integrates ecological sustainability, economic efficiency, and patient welfare into a holistic framework. This article examines the key dimensions of sustainable hospital management-energy efficiency, sustainable building concepts, environmentally responsible procurement, environmentally responsible medical procedures, as well as waste and water management-and highlights their specific relevance to urology. Urology departments exhibit a distinctive sustainability profile due to their high consumption of single-use materials, water-intensive procedures such as urological endoscopy, and the use of energy- and resource-intensive surgical robots. Sustainably oriented departments can achieve measurable improvements in clinical outcomes, staff satisfaction, and operating costs.