Introduction
Planetary health is defined as the “highest attainable standard of health, wellbeing, and equity through judicious attention to the human systems – political, economic, and social – that shape the future of humanity and the earth’s natural systems [1].” Planetary health recognises the inextricable link between the health of our planet and the health of human civilisation. As we alter the earth’s natural systems, we are impacting our own social and environmental determinants of health including clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food sources and secure shelter. Planetary health is a priority for NSLHD due to the impact on the health and wellbeing of our patients, staff and community. This includes the impact of the spread of infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, the risk of non-communicable diseases intensifying due to warmer temperatures and the impact of climate change on mental health. In Australia, the healthcare sector contributes to seven per cent of Australia’s total emissions output [2]. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the health sector plays an essential role in working to reduce its climate footprint whilst strengthening public health systems to respond to the effects of climate change [3].
Globally, healthcare’s climate footprint is equivalent to approximately four per cent of global net emissions [4]. There are a number of related health co-benefits of addressing climate change: reducing the environmental burden of disease; reducing the number of life years lost; and decreasing overall hospital admissions. The NSLHD Planetary Heath Framework 2021-2023 aims to provide direction for the monitoring, development and implementation of planetary health related initiatives across NSLHD. The Framework identifies NSLHD’s commitment to the sustainability of its services, through addressing waste and water management, and energy use, and encouraging local efforts that focus on the design and delivery of clinical services. This Framework builds on the NSLHD Clinical Services Plan 2019-2022 in identifying that the environmental sustainability of resource use and design and delivery of clinical services is one of NSLHD’s major drivers of health service change. The Framework has also been developed to give consideration to a range of guiding principles and policies. These include the NSW Health Resource Efficiency Strategy 2016-2023 [5]; NSW Government Resource Efficiency Policy 2019 [6]; NSW Climate Change Policy Framework 2016 [7]; NSW Modern Slavery Act 2018 No 30 [8]; and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [9].
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