EQUIPPING STAKEHOLDERS WITH RELEVANT TRAINING
For other institutions that may need help in making such cuts, the new academy will provide support.
“We are not climate scientists but we need to get into that. We need to have a working knowledge of what carbon is, (and) how our processes actually affect the environment,” said Associate Professor Wong Hon Tym, clinical director at the Centre for Healthcare Innovation.
Assoc Prof Wong said the centre is pursuing sustainable development through the GreenGov.SG initiative under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. This includes reducing energy and water use by 10 per cent from the baselines by 2030, and reducing waste disposed of by 30 per cent by then.
These will act as standard for healthcare teams, he said.
“We hope eventually that some of those projects are going to make that impact that we hope for as well.”
NEED FOR AMBITIOUS TARGETS
Authorities believe more can be done to drive sustainable practices in the healthcare sector.
“Healthcare is both a cause, as well as a victim (of climate change) ” said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.
“It’s a cause, because of the consumables that we use, the way that we consume utilities, the way that we consume resources, (and) the way that we dispose of our waste.
“We are causing climate change but at the same time, we are also at the receiving end.”
She said that there is a need for mitigation efforts “as quickly, as much as we can”, and to set ambitious targets to protect the environment.
“So we need to think about how we can both mitigate the imprint of this sector on global warming as well as prepare,” she added.