MEDICUS May 2022

Leading WA health’s response on climate action Dr Sallie Forrest Public Health Physician Medical Advisor, Sustainable Development Unit, WA Health Sarah Joyce Lead Sustainable Development Officer Sustainable Development Unit, WA Health T he major health risks of unmitigated climate change are well recognised by expert health bodies across the world. Last month, the United Nations Secretary General warned nations that we are headed towards an unliveable world, following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report. Recent events including east coast flooding, heatwaves and concurrent bushfires in the South West, and supply chain impacts from flooding near the South Australian border are a harbinger of what’s to come if we don’t act urgently to reduce emissions and prepare for climate impacts already locked in. In that context, it is exciting to say that the WA Department of Health (DoH) has recently established a Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) to lead and coordinate a sector-wide response on climate action and sustainability. An SDU was the first recommendation of the Climate Health WA Inquiry, and will be based on the UK’s successful National Health Service SDU model, which has been in operation and expanded since 2008. The unit will respond to the health impacts of climate change but also assist in prevention efforts, by improving the carbon footprint and environmental sustainability of health services, recognising 7 percent of national greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to come from the healthcare sector. The SDU’s initial focus will be to establish the overall functions of the unit and demonstrate the unit’s importance and place within WA Health. In practice, this means we’ve been working on a baseline carbon footprint for the WA Health system, so we can track progress and efforts to reduce emissions. We’ve also been identifying ‘low-hanging fruit’ emission reduction pilot projects. Last month, we held two inaugural workshops with WA Health clinicians to scope low carbon care projects, and with the help of our amazing clinicians, we’re already well on the way to replacing highly polluting desflurane anaesthetic gas in public hospitals. We’ve met with people across the system to establish relationships for the journey ahead, and are encouraged by their enthusiasm and commitment to be involved. To facilitate this, we have been working to establish our visual identity, with a website and regular communications to staff now occurring. We recognise the urgent need for capacity building, with several programs being developed in this space. We’re also supporting key projects to assist with community awareness and preparedness for heatwaves, including for at-risk groups such as Aboriginal communities. Going forward, we’ll need to upscale efforts, and everyone across the healthcare sector must play their part to move fast and urgently on this issue. The SDU will lead the development of a whole-of-WA Health strategy to address climate risk in the second half of the year; we encourage clinicians to get involved. The SDU will also coordinate health system requirements under the WA State Climate Policy, including the development of a Sectoral Emission Reduction Strategy and Net Zero Emission Transition Plan for the health sector. It is vitally important that the healthcare sector be a leader in whole- of-government efforts to reduce emissions, given the consequences for health. The SDU will additionally expand further into resilience and adaptation planning for climate health impacts. Supporting measures such as a suitable governance framework, capacity building, and integration of climate and sustainability into policies, values, strategic priorities and performance metrics will also be a future focus of the SDU. But three overriding themes stand out and must guide the way forward: 1. Acting urgently on climate change is the right thing to do ethically, morally and professionally to protect the health of our community and that of generations to come. 2. The human and monetary costs of inaction are being felt now and will far outweigh the costs of action – in fact, many of the actions to improve environmental sustainability in the healthcare sector will have immediate financial savings. 3. We need every clinician to act within their sphere of influence to do their bit. In addition, the SDU will play a key role at a system level in linking efforts together and leading the change we need. ■ M AY 2 0 2 2 M E D I C U S 21 C O V E R S T O R Y – C L I M A T E C H A N G E A C T I O N