{"id":65209,"date":"2022-09-06T06:34:13","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T20:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=65209"},"modified":"2022-09-06T06:34:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T20:04:13","slug":"healthcare-australia-emissions-mb2621","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/healthcare-australia-emissions-mb2621\/","title":{"rendered":"Calls For A National Sustainable Healthcare Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Healthcare<\/p>\n

Leading health organisations have teamed up to create an implementation plan to slash health-related carbon emissions in Australia that will not only save money, but improve patient care.<\/p>\n

According to the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), Australia’s health sector is responsible for 7% of Australia\u2019s carbon emissions. While this figure appears to have been sourced from a study<\/a> covering the period 2014-15, healthcare remains an energy hog. A necessary one, but things can be done differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitals, surgeries and clinics use huge amounts of energy, and produce mountains of waste each year,” said<\/a> CAHA’s Sustainable Healthcare Manager, Dr Stefanie Carino. “We can improve this right now by sourcing energy from renewable sources, electrifying transport fleets, expanding telehealth, decarbonising the supply chain, and putting in place water and waste management strategies.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With regard to renewables and given their large rooftops and energy demands, commercial solar<\/a> is a good fit for hospitals and other major healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n

There has been some action on this front, with a bunch of hospitals installing solar<\/a> under various state-level initiatives. The New South Wales Government has already thrown a bundle of bucks at putting panels<\/a> on healthcare facilities. So did\u00a0 the Victorian Government under its Regional Health Solar Program<\/a>; resulting in approximately 9MW of solar power capacity installed across 74 sites – with more added since.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe health sector is already getting on with the job. Hospitals and health clinics are taking practical steps right now, with the guidance of state governments,”\u00a0 says Dr Carino. “But we need federal leadership to decarbonise our healthcare system to the scale that\u2019s needed.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yesterday, the organisation released a joint statement outlining steps<\/a> as an immediate priority towards the development of the National Strategy:<\/p>\n

Climate Change Already Killing Australians<\/h2>\n

CAHA’s concerns regarding emissions aren’t just about the future, but also what’s already happened; noting:<\/p>\n