December 23, 2020 - This month’s episode on the DEA podcast is all about sustainable menstrual products. What are they? What do doctors need to know about them? Why do people use them? Are ...
Sustainable Health Care
The Canberra Hospital expansion to be powered entirely by renewables. Source: Canberra Times
The carbon footprint of Australia’s healthcare sector is estimated at over 7% of Australia’s total emissions. While every sector needs to play its part to limit global warming and environmental degradation, the healthcare sector has an added responsibility (and opportunity) to lead mitigation of emissions and environmental impacts.
Guided by the principle, ‘first do no harm’ it is beholden on the healthcare sector to be part of the solution and urgently ‘get its own house in order.’
Of health care’s 7% contribution to Australian carbon emissions, hospitals are responsible for 44%, pharmaceuticals 19%, capital expenditure 8%, community and public health 6% and general practice 4%. Beyond carbon emissions, healthcare is a significant contributor to waste products and natural resource consumption, threatening our present and future health.
Doctors for the Environment Australia has been working for over a decade to address healthcare sector’s carbon footprint and environmental impact and to highlight the added health and financial co-benefits of healthcare sector action.
Net zero carbon emissions for the Australian healthcare sector
Our report outlines why the Australian healthcare sector has a responsibility to urgently reduce its carbon footprint and recommendations to achieve this.
MJA Insight+ published an article on this initiative.
Required emission reduction targets:
- An interim emission reduction target of 80% by 2030
- Net zero emissions by 2040
DEA and the Australian Medical Association have formally agreed to work together to advocate for, and support, a transition to environmentally sustainable practice within the health sector including a national Sustainable Healthcare Unit and net zero emissions by 2040.
Organisations that have endorsed healthcare emission reduction targets of 80% by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2040 can be found here.
An open letter to the Prime Minister in April 2021 included support for these emission reduction targets and a national Sustainable Healthcare Unit from numerous groups.
DEA National Sustainable Healthcare Unit Proposal
A national Sustainable Healthcare Unit (nSHU) (September 2021)
DEA supports the development of national Sustainable Healthcare Unit to coordinate environmentally sustainable initiatives in health care and reduce its carbon footprint.
It would: standardise and benchmark the measurement of carbon emissions; develop a road map for, and assist implementation of, emission reductions and sustainability best practices and; ensure successful implementation of sustainable healthcare initiatives at state, regional, health organisation / network, hospital and practice levels.
GreenCollege Guidelines
DEA and the AMA have developed the GreenCollege Guidelines document for medial colleges, specialities, societies, councils and associations to lead by example through incorporating changes to operations that will assist in transforming the healthcare sector to net zero emissions. Supporting organisations can be found here.
Sustainable Health Care Resources
Net Zero Emissions: Responsibilities, pathways and opportunities
Proposal for a National Sustainable Healthcare Unit
DEA: All Electric Hospital Guide
Podcasts
Net Zero Emissions for Australia’s healthcare sector (March 2021)
Sustainable menstrual products (December 2020)
Presentations and videos
Webinar recording: Climate Change and Sustainability: Leadership and Action from Australian Doctors, August 2022
Webinar recording: Climate Change and Sustainability: Leadership and Action from Australian Doctors, September 2021
Environmental Sustainability & Healthcare: What do health Professionals Need to Know?, July 2018
Other useful resources
Doctors for the Environment Sustain Health Facebook Page
NHS Progressing Towards Net-Zero Commitment
See more of our work on sustainable healthcare
Push for healthcare sector to reduce carbon footprint
December 17, 2020 - Croakey author Nicole Mackee quotes Hayden Burch co-author of the DEA zero net emissions report, in this article reporting on how far behind Australia is in reducing our greenhouse gas ...
Healthcare must be part of climate change solution
December 17, 2020 - PRESENTLY, the world is on track for a 3.2°C temperature rise with current emission pledges – a temperature incompatible with human civilisation, let alone healthy populations.….Written by DEA members Eugenie Kayak and ...
Report: Net Zero Emissions for Australia’s healthcare sector (14 Dec 2020)
December 13, 2020 - Towards net zero emissions in healthcare The changing climate is exposing our patients and communities to more frequent and intense extreme weather. Health professionals are increasingly treating climate-related illnesses, and ...
Media release: DEA welcomes the WA Climate and Health Inquiry
December 7, 2020 - DEA welcomes the WA Climate and Health Inquiry the first statutory inquiry in the world focused on the health impacts of climate change. WA DEA Chair Dr Emma-Leigh Synnott says that ...
Independent Australia: Why can’t the Australian Healthcare Sector commit to net zero emissions if the National Health Service (NHS) can?
November 11, 2020 - The UK’s NHS has announced a wide-sweeping plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040, the first national health system in the world to do so, writes Dr Caroline ...
MJA letter to the editor: A sustainable future in health, ensuring as health professionals our own house is in order and leading by example
October 21, 2020 - “Congratulations to the Medical Journal of Australia for emphasising the role of health professionals in needing to lead by example towards a sustainable future,” write Drs Eugenie Kayak, Forbes McGain and Hayden ...
National Preventive Health Strategy Consultation Paper (5 Oct 2020)
October 5, 2020 - A consultation paper was released by the federal Department of Health calling for feedback on a National Preventive health framework to guide its strategy for the next decade. The consultation ...
Doctors call on the Australian health sector to follow NHS England’s commitment to a net-zero target
October 2, 2020 - Doctors for the Environment Australia commends England’s National Health Service (NHS) commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and calls on the Australian health sector to likewise commit ...
DEA doctors innovating and protecting health during the COVID 19 pandemic
April 11, 2020 - DEA doctors across the nation from a wide range of specialities are experiencing fundamental changes and challenges in their work practices and expectations. GPs are screening and consulting patients in ...
Draft State Public Health Plan (SA) 2019-2024 (October 2018)
October 9, 2019 - DEA in South Australia has contributed to the South Australian Public Health Plan 2019-2024, building on our previous Submissions on the 2013 Plan and during Consultation on the new Plan. ...
An Australian Healthcare Sustainability Unit (HSU) – DEA Proposal
January 10, 2019 - A Healthcare Sustainability Unit (HSU) would assist the Australian health care system (primary, secondary and tertiary) to deliver quality health care in environmentally and financially sustainable ways. A HSU could ...
Greening Hospitals Resources
September 28, 2018 - Produced by student members of Doctors for the Environment Australia.
Environmental Sustainability & Healthcare: What do Health Professionals Need to Know?
July 18, 2018 - Every doctor needs to view this superb presentation by Katherine Barraclough at ANZ Association for Health Professional Educators. It details why environmental sustainability is core business for health professionals and an essential ...
Summary framework for consultation: SA DRAFT State Public Health Plan 2019-2024
June 20, 2018 - South Australia’s second state public health plan is currently under development. The DEA(SA) committee recently prepared a submission commenting on the draft summary framework for the new plan, highlighting opportunities for increased ...
Submission to the Government of South Australia: SA Health on the Review of the State Public Health Plan – South Australia: A Better Place to Live
February 26, 2018 - In this submission DEA analyses the current SA public health plan in the light of our submission; South Australia: A Better Place to Live 2013.We conclude it is necessary to show ...
Sustainable Anaesthesia is important to medical research and to climate change
April 30, 2012 - In the May 2012 edition of the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia there are a number of “highly sustainable” articles to be read. I commend you to peruse this edition of ...
Heat stroke, climate change and the elderly
April 24, 2012 - The increased attention to this topic in Australia and North America reflects the increasing incidence of heat deaths and the need for public health and community measures to address the ...
The Greening of Medicine
March 6, 2012 - By Ray Moynihan This paper in the British Medical Journal explores early preparations for a low carbon health system The following are excerpts: The depth of the climate crisis has ...
Hospitals & Sustainability
February 5, 2011 - Co-authored by Brenton Burger and Peter Newman, the latter being Dean of the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute and a member of DEA’s Scientific Committee. This comprehensive paper is divided ...