This symposium on sustainable healthcare, co-hosted by Alfred Health, the University of Melbourne, and Monash University, brought together a fantastic lineup of experts, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. The event highlighted that sustainable healthcare is core business, focusing on quality care and cultural safety.

Key themes included decarbonizing the health system, with a call to embed sustainability and climate resilience into our understanding of safe, high-quality care. Presentations covered the circular economy, actions to reduce plastics in healthcare, and the urgent need for climate adaptation to build resilient health systems, particularly in the Pacific. Panel discussions explored driving change through collective leadership and translating strategy into practice, emphasizing that while the challenges are significant, there are many opportunities for action, especially through collaboration. Clinicians were reminded of their powerful role in advocating for change.

These exemplary presentations offer expertise and inspiration for all healthcare professionals.

Featuring:

• Keynote speaker Professor Nick Watts, former Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS

• Panel discussion with Adam Horsburgh, Chief Executive of Alfred Health, alongside CEOs from other leading Victorian hospitals.

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Professor John Thwaites - Chair, Monash Sustainable Development Institute and Climate Works Centre

• Professor Shelley Dolan - Chief Executive, The Royal Melbourne Hospital

• Professor Madeleine Skellern - Director, National Health, Sustainability and Climate Unit, Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control

• Heidi Matkovich - Director, Climate Health Victoria

• Professor Eugenie Kayak - Enterprise Professor, Sustainable Healthcare at The University of Melbourne’s Medical School

• Associate Prof Angie Bone - Associate Professor, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University

• Dr Forbes McGain - Anaesthetist and Intensive Care Physician, Western Health and Associate Dean, Sustainable Healthcare, University of Melbourne

• Roslyn Morgan - Registered Nurse and Environmental Health Officer, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch)

See the full agenda here: