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ANZCA Environmental Sustainability Network
The ANZCA Environmental Sustainability Network (ANZCA ESN) was established in 2021 to advocate, collaborate and promote initiatives and projects related to environmental sustainability within anaesthesia, perioperative and pain medicine. It aims to position ANZCA as a proactive leader and advocate in environmental sustainability. Its executive subcommittee now reports to the ANZCA Professional Affairs Executive Committee. Since its launch it has attracted more than 200 members including nurses, allied health providers and other stakeholders.
The ANZCA ESN has been quite busy over the past 12 months. Since their first meeting in November 2021, the ESN executive have hit the ground running with activities that will support greater awareness of environmental sustainability in our practice: • The first webinar, “N2O or not?”, in March co-chaired by ANZCA trainees
Dr Beth Hall and Dr Maggie Keys and featuring international speaker Alifia
Chakera, founder of the Nitrous Oxide Project, and fellows Dr Rob Burrell and
Dr Matthew Jenks. • A second webinar, “The pointy end: Greening sharps and drug waste”, in
November chaired by ESN executive members Dr Archie Shrivathsa and Dr Raj
Pachchigar and featuring fellows Dr Marty Minehan and Dr Taryn Naggs, and
ANZCA trainee Dr Daniel Brooks Reid.
• A joint conference, “Adapting the changing world” with the Mackay Anaesthetic
Community in Airlie Beach in June, featuring speakers including Associate
Professor Kerstin Wyssusek, Dr Cath Hellier and Renee McBrien presenting on sustainability activities around Queensland, and Dr Lachlan McIver from
Medicins San Frontieres speaking about the impact of climate change on developing nations. • Working with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee to consider sustainability audit tools that could be used by CPD participants. • Evaluation of consumer information that addresses the environmental impact of anaesthesia.
As part of its activities, the ESN executive have supported other projects: • Dr Scott Ma represents ANZCA on the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Climate and Health Multi-College Advisory Committee. • Dr Archie Shrivathsa represented ANZCA on the Australian Medical Association /Doctors for the Environment Australia webinar “Climate change and sustainability: Leadership and action from Australian doctors” held in August (https://www.ama.com.au/climate-webinar) and the Better, Healthier Futures –
Health Leaders Roundtable in September. • The ESN executive supported the CODA plan of action on greenhouse gas emissions in anaesthesiology (https://codachange.org/anaesthetic-gases-info/).
The ESN already has a large agenda for 2023, including: • Planning for a virtual forum for people to share ideas. • Hosting a concurrent session at the ANZCA Annual
Scientific Meeting in Sydney featuring Dr Kate
Charlesworth, Associate Professor Justin Skowno,
Associate Professor Kerstin Wyssusek and Dr George
Zhong. • A working group will look at producing a resource to assist in improving sharps and pharmaceutical waste management. • Completing work towards audit tools to assist clinicians in auditing sustainable practices. • Sharing consumer information about sustainability in anaesthesia.
If you would like to join the ANZCA ESN, register at https:// www.anzca.edu.au/news/fellowship-news/join-theenvironmental-sustainability-network-(esn Dr Scott Ma Chair, ANZCA ESN Executive FUNDING BOOST FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY GRANT
The Environment and Sustainability Research Grant (ESG) is the initiative of a group of anaesthetists designed to encourage and support research activity evaluating the environmental impact of current anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative practice. It also assesses how the implementation of environmentally sustainable options may affect patient outcomes and costs. Thanks to our generous donors, the 2023 grant will offer increased funding of up to $A25,000 – a significant boost to the $A15,000 provided when the grant was first offered in 2022.
The 2023 grant round is now open for applications. Applications that do not secure an ESG will also now have a second chance to be funded, by being considered in the ANZCA Project Grant category, increasing the chances of success.
Chief investigator A (first named investigator) must be a fellow or registered trainee of the college. To find out more or to apply for a grant please visit the website. If you are interested in donating to the ANZCA Research Foundation’s Environment and Sustainability Grant please visit the donations webpage and select Environment and Sustainability Grant under donation options.
