Following a 2018 report in The Lancet which estimated that the healthcare system in Australia is responsible for approximately 7% of Australia’s overall carbon emissions, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a position statement on Environmental Sustainability in Health Care 2019.
The AMA believes that reducing carbon emissions, curtailing waste and managing resources efficiently will deliver better outcomes for patients, as well as broader social and economic benefits. The position statement calls for the establishment of an Australian Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), which would be based on the model used by the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
The NHS experience of implementing a Sustainable Development Unit in the UK has reduced healthcare emissions by 18.5% and water use by 21% in 10 years.
If introduced in Australia, the SDU would be responsible for coordinating the efforts of health services and hospitals to become more environmentally sustainable. The SDU would also track progress against sustainability targets and provide associated advice to health facilities.
Read the AMA’s position statement here.