Government overlooks industry stakeholders in Climate and Health Advisory Group

ESG: Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney MP, has established an expert advisory group to tackle the health impacts of climate change. Despite this initiative including representation from the pharmaceutical industry, key stakeholders such as the medtech and diagnostics sectors are noticeably absent.

The newly formed Climate and Health Expert Advisory Group, chaired by Assistant Minister Kearney, operates under the Australian Centre for Disease Control. It comprises representatives from health and patient peak bodies, academia, hospitals, climate advisory groups and the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Missing from the advisory group are representatives from the medtech sector and large private hospital operators like Ramsay Health Care who have been leading the healthcare sector in reducing the carbon footprint through various initiatives.

Ian Burgess, CEO of Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), told Health Industry Hub, that the organisation “would welcome the opportunity to join the group of organisations represented on the government’s Climate and Health Expert Advisory Group to represent our industry, share our insights and the successes already underway.”

He highlighted Baxter Healthcare’s recycling program as part of the broader ‘PVC Recycling in Hospitals’ initiative, which repurposes medical waste such as PVC products such as IV fluid bags and tubing into industrial items like garden hoses and non-slip floor mats, contributing to sustainability and local job support.

 “Another great example of this is MTAA member company, Cardinal Health, which recently announced its intention to open single-use medical device reprocessing facility in Australia. The facility will clean and disinfect single-use medical devices like compression sleeves, which will significantly reduce waste and waste management costs for hospitals while maintaining product integrity and patient safety,” Burgess added.

Dean Whiting, CEO of Pathology Technology Australia, emphasised the need for the diagnostic and medical technologies sector to have a voice within the Advisory Group.

“In the absence of that direct line of advocacy, we will work hand in hand with those involved to ensure the complexities of our sector are fully understood and we have the best opportunity to identify sustainable and impactful ways to evolve,” he stated.

Whiting pointed out that over 95% of pathology technology is imported from Europe or North America, regions with existing environmental protections. These regions have their own environmental protection overlays already in place. Australia constitutes about 1% of the global diagnostics market and will not be able to dictate substantial variations to those in place already.

“We need a health-sector wide collaborative approach to solving these problems, we cannot rely solely on industry or government. As an example we need to include government procurement practices in any detailed review of the environmental impact, including the “last mile” contribution. Procurement contracts that mandate ‘free into store’ conditions encourage almost daily delivery of ‘just in time consumables’ that could be delivered monthly,” he explained.

Medicines Australia CEO, Liz de Somer, who is representing the pharmaceutical industry in the Climate and Health Expert Advisory Group, stated “The acceleration of action in addressing the impacts of climate change, from waste reduction and circular economy initiatives to climate reporting will have a direct impact on pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), manufacturing and supply chains.”

She further added, “Environmental sustainability is a priority for the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, with many companies taking proactive action to reduce waste, limit carbon emissions, and increase sustainability across supply chains and other areas of operation.

“Through the Medicines Australia Medical Sustainability Group, the industry is working collaboratively with the Federal Government to support sustainability priorities related to materials used in product packaging, recycling opportunities and emissions reduction.”

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