A National Sustainable Healthcare Unit for Australia EUGENIE KAYAK Enterprise Professor of Sustainable Healthcare, University of Melbourne Medical School and Convenor of Sustainable Healthcare for Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA).
its international commitments under the Paris The problem (addressing healthcare’s carbon emissions) Agreement to keep global warming under 1.5oC. Climate change is impacting our health, contributing to life-threatening illnesses and death, as well as our capacity to deliver health services, yet the healthcare sector which exists to maintain and improve health is a significant contributor. Globally, if the sector were a country, it would be
Such transformative change, while possible, will only be realised with national co-ordination and collaboration, consistent metrics to enable benchmarking, and evidence-based pathways, along with targeted research, innovation, and education across the entire sector. All of these
the fifth largest carbon emitter. The healthcare
have unfortunately been missing in Australia.
sector in Australia is estimated to be responsible for
The solution (a National Sustainable Healthcare Unit)
over 35 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum, or more than 7% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) together with the Australian Medical Association (AMA), and others have called on the Australian healthcare sector to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2040. Ambitious targets are necessary if the Australian healthcare sector is to do its part in honouring 14
The Health Advocate • NOVEMBER 2022
The NHS is demonstrating how national coordination can enable decarbonisation of the healthcare sector. They were the first health system in the world to commit to net zero emissions and through their Greener NHS Programme ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service’ are on track to meet their targets (net zero by 2040 and 80% reduction by 2028-32 for emission they directly control). Of note the NHS is paving the way for
