Urgent push to reduce emissions and costs, provide better patient care

Leading Australian researchers and healthcare organisations have joined forces with federal and state health departments to address the health sector’s urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower health costs and provide better patient care.

The 16 participating organisations of the Transitions to Sustainable Health Systems consortium, convened by Monash University, have today unveiled a sector-wide guide toward net zero, including to invest in disease prevention, streamline healthcare services, consider environmental impact in purchasing decisions, minimise waste, switch to renewable electricity, phase out the use of fossil gas in health facilities, and reduce the need for patients to travel for care.

Australia’s health system is directly or indirectly responsible for an estimated 5.4 per cent of the nation’s total emissions each year, and up to 8 per cent of material waste.

Accelerating towards net zero: A guide for the Australian health system, launched today at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, is a guide for health organisations across Australia to adopt and tailor to their needs and priorities.

Planetary health specialist Professor Angie Bone, from the Monash School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, said transitioning the health sector to zero emissions will lead to lower health costs and better patient care.

“Australia’s health system is already challenged by increasing demand, and climate change will only worsen this situation,” Professor Bone said.

“But while we are treating patients we are also generating climate-altering emissions, creating an uncomfortable paradox for our sector and our staff.

“Fortunately, many of the actions we can take to reduce our emissions have wider benefits for patients in terms of improving the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare, and reduce costs for patients and the system."

Monash University convened the Transitions to Sustainable Health Systems consortium last year alongside Advanced Pharmacy Australia, Alfred Health, Bupa, Eastern Health, Grampians Health, Kooweerup Regional Health service, Monash Health, Northern Health, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and the state health departments of Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria, and West Australia.

The consortium has identified priorities and practical actions that the Australian health system can take to accelerate emissions reduction, bringing together research and practical experience, supported by Monash’s capabilities in system transitions, emission reduction, and behaviour change.

Alfred Health Chief Executive Adjunct Professor Adam Horsburgh said the project had the potential to influence significant changes across the health sector and beyond.

“Healthcare operates around the clock and, as we continue to care for our community and save lives, we are also committed to minimising the impact our vital work has on the environment,” Adjunct Professor Horsburgh said.

“From small changes to existing programs though to exciting new initiatives, this collaboration has an important part to play in showing what can be done when we think big and show leadership in our response to the challenges of climate change.”

Bupa Asia Pacific Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Roger Sharp said climate change is a major threat to human health, and we can’t escape the fact that the healthcare sector is part of this problem.

“There is an urgent need to reduce the emissions that the healthcare industry generates while still focussing on delivering optimal health outcomes for patients,” Sharp said.

“While we know we don’t have all the answers, this guide is a testament to our continued commitment to work collaboratively with other organisations like Monash University to increase visibility of environmental issues, spotlight organisations making positive progress and showcase sustainable solutions that are currently available.”

Advanced Pharmacy Australia Chief Executive Kristin Michaels said the consortium is a powerful force for change and the guide is a vital first step in helping health organisations fast-track the collective journey towards net zero.

“Embedding sustainability into healthcare practice is no longer optional,” she said.

“We want to see it made a priority in medicines prescribing, procurement, and all decision-making.

“By factoring in carbon costs and driving greater transparency, we can make greener choices that protect both the health of our people and our planet.”

Accelerating towards net zero: A guide for the Australian health system draws heavily on insights generated from a series of participatory workshops with 135 healthcare professionals from 54 healthcare organisations from across Australia, informed by a rapid review on the effectiveness of sustainable healthcare interventions.

Decarbonising the health system involves interrelated action across three main areas: prevention and models of care, green procurement and material waste, and energy, facilities and transport.

These actions must be supported by systems and processes that enable their effective and efficient implementation, including good governance and appropriate funding, a well-supported workforce, improvements in data and knowledge to inform action, and availability of the necessary infrastructure, products and services.

Fast facts:

• The Australian health system is directly or indirectly responsible for  an estimated 23,522 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas annually, or 5.4 per cent of total Australian emissions.
• Breakdown of emissions by health system:
• 68 per cent: Products purchased by the health system, including treatment and disposal at end of life.
• 20 per cent: Purchased energy
• 6 per cent: Direct emissions (generated by the organisation as part of operations, such as use of fossil gas for heating and sterilisation)
• 6 per cent: Patient travel to and from healthcare services
• NSW Health reports that sustainability programs have saved more than $12 million per year since 2016.
• About 30 per cent of healthcare in wealthy countries is duplicative (for example, repeated diagnostic tests because the results are not visible between different parts of the health system), unnecessary or of little benefit, and about 10 per cent actually leads to patient harm. Harmful and unnecessary care also generates avoidable GHG emissions estimated at 11,447 kilotonne of emissions each year in Australia. This is more than the combined emissions from domestic aviation and shipping in Australia during the financial year 2022–23.

Case studies: 

• Grampians Health resource stewardship program has trained more than 400 staff since 2018 to implement programs to reduce emissions and waste while enhancing quality and safety of care. One example is a nurse-led program to train staff to recognise early signs of sepsis helped prevent progression to more severe disease, halving the number of admissions to the Intensive Care Unit, halving the length of time people were there, and dramatically reducing deaths.
• The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department at Northern Health in Melbourne uses virtual consultations to address non-urgent conditions and divert patients from physical emergency departments. Born from the necessity of managing COVID-19, the VVED has expanded into a statewide model, recognised for both its environmental and healthcare benefits, saving an estimated 2200 tonnes of carbon emissions by reducing patient travel.
• Bupa Asia Pacific’s power purchasing agreement as part of a key pillar of its broader sustainability strategy, Mission Zero. Motivated by this strategic commitment and the economic benefit of securing long-term energy price certainty, this initiative involved affordably integrating renewables into Bupa’s energy supply, enabling a move to 100 per cent renewable electricity across Bupa’s operations in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Read the guide here.