On Tuesday, 11^th February, we hosted our first webinar of 2025: “Healthy Practices: The Intersection of Healthcare and Sustainability”, which you can watch here. Sustainability is an increasingly pressing priority for all industries, but the healthcare sector faces unique challenges and opportunities; in this webinar we spoke with three organisations from across the sector that we have worked with that are tackling sustainability head on, to discuss their sustainability journeys, key learnings, and how environmental health is directly linked to community wellbeing. 

We were joined by: 

• Kate Charles, Programme Director, Strategic Initiatives at Tū Ora Compass Health 

• Maree McNulty, Internal Communications Lead at Wise Group 

• Manase Lua, Pacific Equity Lead at Wise Group 

• Sam Holloway, Environmental Sustainability Lead at Hato Hone St John 

Our panellists shared their insights on the motivations behind their sustainability efforts, the challenges they face, and their key learnings. We have summarised their reflections below.  

Why Healthcare Organisations Are Prioritising Sustainability 

• Direct impact on health outcomes. Climate change and environmental degradation contribute to respiratory diseases, heat-related illnesses, and health inequities. Sustainable healthcare practices support both people and planet. 

• Financial and operational benefits. Sustainable initiatives often increase efficiency and reduce costs over time, making them a smart long-term investment. 

• A responsibility to act. As organisations dedicated to improving lives, prioritising sustainability aligns with their core values and missions. 

The Connection Between Environmental Health and Community Wellbeing 

• Climate change is a growing public health threat. Increasing extreme weather events disrupt healthcare services, exacerbate health conditions, and create long-term risks for vulnerable populations. 

• Cultural and holistic perspectives highlight the deep connection between people and the land – models like Te Whare Tapa Whā recognise whenua (the land and environment) as the foundation of holistic health, reinforcing why healthcare must be part of sustainability solutions. 

• When the environment is healthy, individuals and communities experience better physical, mental, and emotional health outcomes. 

Key Challenges in Achieving Sustainability Goals 

• Funding and financial constraints. As charitable organisations, these healthcare providers must balance sustainability efforts with budget limitations. Upfront investment in sustainable infrastructure can be challenging, despite long-term cost savings. 

• Essential services create unavoidable impacts. For example, ambulance emissions are a major contributor to Hato Hone St John’s footprint, yet life-saving transport remains non-negotiable. Finding ways to mitigate rather than eliminate emissions is key. 

• Capacity and competing priorities. Staff in the healthcare sector are already stretched thin. 

Advice for Other Healthcare Organisations 

For organisations just beginning their sustainability journeys, our panellists offered the following practical tips: 

• Align sustainability with your organisational values. Sustainability shouldn’t be seen as “extra work” – it should be embedded into your organisational culture. 

• Start small – but start. Pick one achievable action, whether that’s improving recycling rates or forming a sustainability working group and go from there – “every drop of water eventually fills a bucket.” 

• Engage your people. Identify staff champions, involve employees in decision-making, and make sustainability fun and accessible (e.g., using quizzes, interactive pledges, or engaging comms). 

• Seek external support and opportunities to collaborate. Sustainability requires industry-wide cooperation to shift practices at scale, so look to your peer organisations for inspiration, speak to experts for support, and connect with industry networks for guidance and partnerships. 

Looking Ahead 

This conversation highlighted that while the healthcare sector has many complexities to navigate in tackling sustainability, there is power in taking action, no matter how small. 

If you’re an organisation looking for expert guidance in addressing your sustainability performance, Go Well Consulting is here to help. Our team of experts can coach and support you through the journey ensuring your organisation and people grow in confidence and capability. Whether it’s strategy development, reporting, emissions mapping and reductions, supply chain and procurement projects, waste minimisation, circular economy design, or simply facilitating a conversation we excel at leaving an organisation better than we found it.  Get in touch to evolve your business for the sustainable future. 

Written by Sustainability Consultant Kate Lodge from Go Well Consulting.