Publications
Submission: National Health and Climate Strategy
Published: 2023
Climate action needs to achieve mitigation, adaptation and equity. We need to:
- reduce emissions and stabilise levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mitigation);
- adapt to the climate change already set by (adaptation);
- protect the most vulnerable people from adverse effects of global warming (equity).
From our perspective there are three clear areas for action for the health system:
- keep people healthy so their need for healthcare reduces
- reduce low value care
- decarbonise the health system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint.
Adaptation is important but we cannot prioritise this over mitigation. The climate is changing and we are seeing heatwaves, bushfires impacting the environment and human health, and rain bombs resulting in devastating floods. We need to respond to this but also do what we can to stop further damage.
We need to be able to answer the question: how do we continue to deliver health care in a changing environment?
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