The National Health and Climate Strategy sets out a whole-of-government plan for achieving healthy, climate-resilient communities and a sustainable, resilient, high-quality, net zero health system. The strategy commits to implementation of 49 actions over five years (from December 2023).

This initial implementation plan presents the milestones for the actions prioritised for delivery in 2024 and foreshadows the activities to deliver the remaining actions in 2025 and beyond. The implementation plan lists four core objectives and four key enablers. 

Objectives

1. Health system resilience: Build a climate-resilient health system and enhance its capacity to protect health and wellbeing from the impacts of climate change. 
2. Health system decarbonisation: Build a sustainable, high quality, net zero health system. 
3. International collaboration: Collaborate internationally to build sustainable, climate-resilient health systems and communities. 
4. Health in All Policies: Support healthy, climate-resilient and sustainable communities through whole-of-government action which recognises the relationship between health and climate outcomes. 

Enablers

1. Workforce, leadership and training: Support and engage the health and aged care workforce to further develop the skills and capacity to raise public awareness and understanding of the health impacts of climate change and how to take action.
2. Research and innovation: Invest in and support coordinated climate and health research to improve the evidence base for responses to climate change, strengthen the sustainability of the health system and improve population health and wellbeing. 
3. Communication and engagement: Effectively communicate and engage to ensure actions to address the health impacts of climate change are widely understood and endorsed. 
4. Collaboration and governance: Ensure appropriate governance structures are in place to facilitate collaboration with all stakeholders.