BOPDHB plans to be carbon zero by 2050

BOPDHB have launched their sustainability framework. File Image. SunLive.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board have launched their new sustainability framework.

The Kaitiakitanga Framework for Environmental Sustainability is part of an ongoing plan for the BOPDHB to reduce their carbon footprint by 50 per cent by the year 2030 and to become carbon zero by 2050.

The BOPDHD has set 10 environmental sustainability priorities; leadership, accountability, waste, energy, transport/travel, procurement, built environment, water, food and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Some plans have already been put into place at BOPDHB hospitals, with a seven per cent reduction in landfill reported in one department.

BOPDHB sustainability manager Vicktoria Blake is pleased and proud of the work already being undertaken by BOPDHB staff, highlighting how reducing the impact on the environment is viewed as a major issue by employees at hospitals in the region.

'While they may not see what they are doing as a big thing every little bit counts,” says Vicktoria.

'It is a huge journey that we are on. Our staff really care about waste and resource use.

'When they were surveyed when I first started in 2019, which was the thing they cared about.”

Vicktoria points out if it was a country, internationally, the healthcare sector would be the fifth largest in the world and must therefore take action to reduce its collective carbon footprint.

'We are here to protect the health of our people. However, we are also part of the cause of climate change, which will inevitably have detrimental impacts on our communities, particularly our already underprivileged communities,” says Vicktoria.

BOPDHB chair Sharon Shea highlights how New Zealand, as a nation, is environmentally conscientious and that respect of mother earth is also engrained in Maori culture.

'It is very natural for us to think of nurturing papatuanuku and nurturing the environment and this is what this strategy is all about,” says Sharon.

'It creates an opportunity for us as an organisation to walk that talk and to put into practice many different strategies that will enable us to nurture papatuanuku.”

BOPDHB chief executive Peter Chandler suggests that enacting change and improvements in sustainability is a corporate social responsibility considering the Board's position as one of the region's largest employers.

'As the health system we are a large consumer of our earth's resources in many ways,” says Pete.

'That is a huge challenge for us but also the opportunity to make a big difference over time.”

For more information on the Kaitiakitanga Framework for Environmental Sustainability then visit the BOPDHB website at www.bopdhb.health.nz.

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4 comments

Rubbish

Posted on 05-05-2021 08:52 | By Slim Shady

Maybe they should concentrate on delivering some half decent healthcare before worrying about carbon. Just an idea.


How about

Posted on 05-05-2021 11:41 | By treekiwi

they work on 100% timely and satisfactory patient treatment rates and forget the feelgood stuff until they are managing to do their job.


DHB?

Posted on 05-05-2021 15:22 | By Slim Shady

I thought they, and all the DHBs, were going to be defunct soon, and replaced by the Central Committee Healthcare Board? I know Labour are really really slow at implementing anything but surely they are hoping to deliver their recent policy announcement before 2050? Why is BOPDHB wasting time, money and paper on this nonsense when they will cease to exist?


@ Slim Shady.........

Posted on 06-05-2021 20:14 | By groutby

...I reckon there's as much chance of the total restructure of the DHB's the government is proposing has as little or less chance of being successful as the woke climate change shite we are continually being bombarded with....just another unbelievable and expensive imaginary issue....


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