The Australian government has launched Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy that is aimed at ensuring the health system can meet the challenges of climate change.
 
With more frequent and extreme climate events, climate change presents a serious health and wellbeing challenge to Australians. The World Health Organization has described climate change as the greatest threat to global health this century.
 
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney launched Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy at the 28^th United Nations Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It sets out an ambitious whole-of-government plan aimed at addressing the health and wellbeing impacts of climate change and outlining priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the health system.
 
The National Strategy brings together actions from across the Australian Government and partners around the world to set out an ambitious vision for healthy, climate-resilient communities, and a sustainable, resilient, high-quality, net zero health system.
                                 
It incorporates feedback provided from over 270 submissions made by stakeholders in the health and aged care sectors, First Nations organisations, civil society groups, academia, and industry, as well as consultation from workshops and roundtables attended by more than 300 stakeholders.
 
Australia has endorsed the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health to be released at the Climate-Health Ministerial and has joined the Alliance for Transformative Action on Health, which will provide more opportunities to exchange knowledge, coordinate access to climate finance and enhance cooperation on climate and health.