Greening the health sector
The Climate and Health Alliance is committed to working within the healthcare sector to encourage healthcare organisations to reduce their environmental footprint.
Global Green and Healthy Hospitals
Together with our international partner, Health Care Without Harm, and Australian partner, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, the Climate and Health Alliance, is supporting health care organisations to join the Global Green and Health Hospitals Network.
All members of this network have access to a comprehensive framework to achieve greater sustainability and to contribute to improved public environmental health.
The Network is quickly becoming a vibrant international community of hospitals, health systems and member organizations, all seeking to implement and the Agenda, achieve measurable outputs and share best practices (for more see www.greenhospitals.net).
Founding Network Members include the Sustainability Unit of England’s National Health Service, the Indonesian Hospital Association, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, Thailand’s Department of Health, the Healthier Hospitals Initiative in the United States and individual hospitals in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, England, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nepal and India, and Australia.
Greening the health sector ‘Think Tanks’
The Climate and Health and Alliance and Australian Hospitals and Healthcare Association co-host an annual Think Tank on Greening the Health Sector’.
2014
This year’s Think Tank, ‘The Health Sector as a Leader in Low Carbon Transformation’, held at the Mater Hospital, South Brisbane on Tuesday 14th October 2014.
This dynamic and interactive event featured case studies and experts and discussion on the following themes:
- Building healthy and sustainable healthcare infrastructure
- Waste not – the transformation of disposal in healthcare
- Engaging others – making sustainability everyone’s business
- Building a national and global community for healthy, sustainable healthcare
The Think Tank was facilitated by leading sustainability educator and consultant Ian McBurney, and featured snap shot presentations from professionals, followed by engaging and interactive discussions.
Beamed in live from Washington state we had Nick Thorp, Global Community Manager of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals network, to hear about this rapidly expanding network and the innovative platform that is enabling health and sustainability professionals to connect with one another around the world.
2013
The second annual CAHA – AHHA think tank on sustainability on the health care sector was held in Melbourne on 30th August 2013.
The event featured international speaker Dr Blair Sadler from the University of California on the successful Healthier Hospitals Initiative as well as local and interstate sustainable healthcare professionals sharing their experiences.
Check out this Twitter report via Croakey for an overview of the Twitterstream from the events. Download the 2013 event report here.
2012
The 2012 event in Sydney featured the Australian launch of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda, the new tool for health care settings around the world, developed by the Climate and Health Alliance’s new international partner, Health Care Without Harm.
An advocacy agenda developed from this event is guiding AHHA and CAHA in this work. Download the report from the event.
If you would like to know more about Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, please contact [email protected] or call 0438 900 005.
Resources
Looking for resources to support your sustainability in healthcare journey?Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?
Sustainable health and social care: Connecting environmental and financial performance This research by Kings Fund provides an overview of current knowledge about the environmental impacts of health and social care and examines the evidence for a connect on between sustainability, productivity improvement and other system objectives.
Creating a Culture of Sustainability: Leadership, Coordination and Performance Measurement Decisions in Healthcare a report authored by Tonya Boone, PhD, of George Mason University
Health Care & Climate Change: An Opportunity for Transformative Leadership
Green Star – Healthcare v1 Fact Sheet & Business Case
Achieving Healthcare Sustainability: Suggestions for Success
Healthy Hospitals – Healthy Planet – Healthy People – World Health Organisation and Healthcare Without Harm Climate Change and Health – The Connection This DVD is an induction film for NHS staff so they can appreciate the connection between climate change and health and the reasons to take the issue seriously.
The Health Care Without Harm Nurses’ Workgroup has designed a toolkit for nurses who are interested in learning more about how to reduce the environmental impact of their health care facilities: Access it here .
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)
Why Nurses & Environmental Health – YouTube
Nurses Leading Health Care Initiatives to Go Green – NurseZone
Nurses and Environmental Health: Success Through Action
Healthy Buildings: Impact on Nurses and Nursing Practice – Medscape