How can a climate-resilient healthcare sector build infrastructure that help achieve net zero targets?

The healthcare sector in Australia and New Zealand each contribute around 7% of Global Emissions (more than transport and shipping industry combined).*

Understanding the health sector’s role in transitioning Australia to a net zero economy by 2050, the Department of Health & Aged Care released their National Health & Climate Strategy in 2024.

This strategy sets out a plan for building a net zero health system and strengthening the climate resilience of that health system.

Recognising that there are challenges to asset owners in balancing the costs and resources required for the transition with the need to continue delivering high quality healthcare, three subject matter experts share with us their thoughts on how we can achieve a more sustainable healthcare sector.

* https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-51961730180-8/fulltext

The health sector’s role in net zero

This strategy sets out a plan for building a net zero health system and strengthening the climate resilience of that health system.

Balancing the costs

Balancing patient care, the need to upgrade/maintain assets, whilst also reducing their emissions and becoming more energy efficient and resilient

The benefits to healthcare

Improved patient recovery rates, reduction in the need for pain medication, and in secondary infections.

Healthcare asset owners, including hospitals and large healthcare facilities, are often managing ageing assets. There is also an imperative to ensure the delivery of high-quality care for the communities in which they operate.

Balancing the costs of patient care against the need to upgrade or maintain sustainable assets, whilst also reducing their emissions and becoming more energy efficient and resilient, is a tough job.

Sustainability experts such as those in Ventia’s team are working with asset owners to help find cost effective ways to drive sustainability improvements.

^{Ventia is the largest provider of enabling services to hospitals around Australia & New Zealand}

Develop and utilise a strategic asset management plan

Healthcare providers such as Austin Health have developed strategic plans and are actively working to quantify their carbon footprint to set the standard and improve performance over time.

With many of Australia and New Zealand’s health infrastructure, particularly public hospitals, dating back as far as the early 1900’s, there are challenges and some limits on operators’ ability to fully update or electrify within their current footprint.

One solution to improve reliability and consistent delivery of electricity is to install solar panels on roofs. However, Austin Health’s Jason Walker notes that not all roofs are suitable.

Blake Wilson, from Acor Consultants, says that it is through government taking the lead by both setting their own targets and moving to improve their infrastructure’s performance, you see more action by industry.

“Electrification of buildings is one example of where you see government leading the way,” Blake says.

Underlying pressure from government is what’s leading to the momentum we’re seeing and illustrates the benefits of this activity

Look out for low-hanging fruit

Blake points out that there are plenty of opportunities for facility owners and operators to make changes that, combined, will start to make a real difference.

“On site renewables like solar panels, along with batteries for storage will help reduce your reliance on the grid as well as reducing your energy costs,” he notes. “But before you do that, look at reducing consumption through switching out all your light bulbs for LEDs and looking at ways to utilise real-time IoT sensors to track how your equipment is being used and optimise the performance of your facility.”

Jason says that switching out lighting was one initiative they were able to do at Austin Health that didn’t require reallocation of space or major upgrades and contributes to improvements.

^{There are plenty of opportunities for facility owners and operators to make changes that, combined, will start to make a real difference.}

But if you are building…

Avoid a fixation on up-front costs, says Blake. What are the whole of life costs of your assets? How can you introduce passive design elements to reduce cost of heating and cooling, like the orientation of your building and external shading? And how do you future proof your facilities? Don’t just look at what’s possible now. If you are planning a build that won’t kick off for a year or two, what do you need to be aware of that could be available then? What technology is coming down the line.

It's not all about energy. What about other commodities?

When the time came to replace around 800 hospital beds at Austin Health, the team there were keen to find a use for the old beds. Partnering with a charity, they were able to ship all 800 beds to health services overseas, including in Afghanistan, South East Asia and parts of Africa.

“This was a great sustainability outcome, as well as having positive social impact,” Jason says.

Sustainability isn’t just about the built environment, we can look at the operations of a business and seek efficiency opportunities

Other initiatives implemented at Austin Health include an increase in recycling of soft plastics, a waste stream that is common in health care, the recycling for reuse of chemical containers and a reduction in paper use through the digitisation of forms.

Jason says they have had strong buy-in from their clinical team who are keen to help the organisation do things better.

“There’s a lot of good will in the team to drive change,” he says.

^{If you are planning a build that won’t kick off for a year or two, you need to be aware of what technology is coming down the line.}

In conclusion

All of these elements tie back into the need for a sustainability strategy, and a strategic asset management plan.

It’s clear we need to take a strategic approach to sustainable asset management so we don’t lose sight of those long-term goals and opportunities.

The healthcare industry can’t be left behind when it comes to sustainability. We need sustained and climate resilient facilities to treat patients and support the communities in which we operate.

Creating sustainable and resilient facilities isn’t going to happen overnight. Investing in sustainability will help future proof our facilities without compromising patient care.