Produced by AusDoc on behalf of COSA

FRIDAY morning’s plenary chaired by Cancer Council Victoria’s Brigid Lynch showcased examples of how hospitals are decarbonising and improving climate resilience. In his presentation, University of Melbourne Associate Dean in Sustainable Healthcare Forbes McGain explained that 70% of healthcare emissions are from clinical activities.

“About 20% of the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint appears to arise from pharmaceuticals. And about another 10% stems from medical equipment (single use materials) so oncology has an impact on these two major factors,” said McGain. As an anaesthetist and intensive care physician at Western Health in Victoria, he acknowledged that theatre and ICU were also carbon hotspots.

McGain said 150 Australian hospitals recycled IV tubing into garden hoses and many were also reducing nitric oxide gas. Positive environmental practices at Western Health includes recycling fluid bags. The healthcare group is also transitioning back to reusables and uses environmental footprinting for anaesthetic gases and common equipment.