ANZCA is committed to minimising the health impact of climate change and promoting environmental sustainability, and has taken measures to reduce its environmental impact. In January 2020, ANZCA released a statement on climate change. 

See the full statement here. More information about ANZCA’s position on environmental sustainability can be found in its professional document PS64: Statement on Environmental Sustainability in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine Practice.

The Environmental Sustainability Audit Tool has been developed by the ANZCA Environmental Sustainability Working Group and was launched on World Environment Day, 5 June 2020. The tool has been created to assist departments and practitioners to develop and maintain practices that promote environmental sustainability in line with ANZCA’s professional document PS64: Statement on Environmental Sustainability in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine Practice.
 
While there are many actions that may be undertaken to improve sustainable practice broadly within the health sector, this audit tool is designed to help identify interventions that could reasonably be considered at an individual or departmental level.
 
The audit tool groups activities to improve environmental sustainability under the following headings: reduce, reuse, recycle, and leadership. 

In this video, ANZCA councillor Dr Scott Ma and Wollongong-based trainee anaesthetist Dr Jess Hegedus explain how the audit tool was developed and how to use it.

Visit our Environmental Sustainability Libguide to explore an extensive range of journal articles, books, links and other resources on environmental sustainability in healthcare.

We're committed to proactive and positive action that reduces our environmental footprint and aligns with the expectations and achievements of its fellows, trainees and specialist international medical graduates.
 
This environmental sustainability work is ongoing and the college works with building facility companies, contractors, suppliers, venues, travel agents and the healthcare industry across Australia and New Zealand to constantly look for improvements.
 
We are preparing a table of college activities and initiatives with impact evaluation and cost savings that will be available on the website.  Keep an eye out for this. The table will include information on:

• Reduction in printed materials including but not restricted to online subscription process, online council and committee elections and no registration booklets or meeting satchels for the ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting.
• Increased recycling within ANZCA House and at all college events. 
• Carbon offset for travel and the use of the Zoom online meeting platform for committee and business meetings to reduce travel and air miles.  

 
We are proud to support the Environmental Sustainability Working Group and their inspiring agenda.

ANZCA is recognised by Carbon Neutral, Australia's largest biodiverse reforestation offset developer, for offsetting 421 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2018.

The Carbon Neutral certificate for 2018 is here and more information on Carbon Neutral can be found here.