Northern Sydney Local Health District has continued to set the groundwork and progress sustainability efforts across all hospitals and services. The district reached a significant milestone in 2023, with the completion of the baseline carbon footprinting which involved determining the amount of carbon dioxide the district emits and from where. does not directly control but can potentially influence (referred to as scope 3), NSLHD aims to reach net zero by 2050, with a 50 per cent reduction by 2035. This will involve ongoing work with the district’s partners and suppliers address the key hotspots. “We are working on a dashboard so we can track our progress to net zero and translate this into emissions reductions and cost savings.” NSLHD continued planetary health efforts
to influence and improve the environmental sustainability of NSLHD’s supply chain. NSLHD Planetary Health Manager Nicola Groskops, who has been working in the key role since 2022, said having the baseline carbon footprinting completed has given the district a foundation to improve on. “It’s been great to be able to see the results of the footprinting and what the hotspots are for us as a district and what we need to do to address these,” she said. “Whilst the journey to net zero is a complex one, we are excited that we have a starting point, and we are already well underway to
Nicola said the district is also developing the new NSLHD Planetary Health Framework 2024-2027, which will provide a roadmap for the journey to net zero. “On the back of the inaugural NSLHD Planetary Health Framework 2021-2023, the new framework will leverage what we now know about our district’s carbon footprint and set clear and actionable strategies for working together towards net zero,” she said. Staff members, patients and community members will have the opportunity to have their say and provide feedback on a draft of the new framework.
The process, which was completed by sustainability experts Arup, has given the district insight into what its emissions are and what can be improved on. The footprinting also allowed the district to model its path to net zero carbon emissions and further define its net zero commitment. For the emissions the district directly controls (referred to as scopes 1 and 2), NSLHD aims to reach net zero by 2035, with a 70-80 per cent reduction by 2030. This includes reducing emissions from electricity, fleet vehicles, natural gas and medical gases. For the emissions the district
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NSLHD 2023 Year in Review
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