World Environment Day 2026: A global call for climate action
World Environment Day 2026 focuses on climate change—on the urgent signals the Earth is sending and the signals we choose to send back. World Environment Day 2026 calls on governments, cities, businesses, and people everywhere to move in one direction: read the signals around you—and send one back. The planet doesn’t argue. It doesn’t negotiate. It […]
Federal Budget action urged as energy costs squeeze households
Advocates from across the country converged on Parliament House last week in a national mobilisation to highlight key priorities ahead of the Federal Budget in May. The campaign is responding to growing cost-of-living pressures, particularly rising household energy bills driven by energy market volatility and corporate profiteering, which are leaving many Australians struggling to maintain […]
Australia needs a heatwave plan
Leaders have met with parliamentarians on Extreme Heat Awareness Day to demand a proactive national policy to address the accelerating heat crisis in Australia. A national day of action on Extreme Heat Awareness Day on February 4, was led by Sweltering Cities and Australian Red Cross, alongside the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), the […]
One in 15 emergency department visits in the ACT linked to extreme weather
Extreme heat and cold are pushing thousands of Canberrans into emergency departments each year and experts predict that a warming climate is poised to intensify the strain across the ACT. The Australian National University-led research found that almost 36,000 ED presentations between 2000 and 2021 were linked to heat, representing 1 in 40 (2.5%) of all visits. That number is projected […]
2025 Climate and Health in Our Hands – Our top five WINS
As part of our 2025 stocktake, we’re so proud of our collective wins that shifted practice, policy and representation of nurses, midwives and carers in the climate and health space. This work came from the ground up, from nurses, midwives and carers! We spoke with healthcare workers, cross-checked evidence, linked teams across states, and built […]
Unions launch work health and safety report amid climate crisis
Unions are calling for new work health and safety laws to better protect workers from climate change, including extreme heat, natural disasters and air pollution. A delegation of union leaders and workers, including nurses, firefighters, and teachers, travelled to Canberra today to launch a new report Work Health and Safety in the Era of Climate […]
Carrying Water Through Fire: Investing in the Resilience of our Communities
Earlier this year, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal published a three-part series capturing the stories of nurses, midwives and carers working on the frontline of climate-driven disasters. These stories took readers into flood-stricken Northern New South Wales, a bushfire-surrounded hospital on the New South Wales south coast, and the heat-blasted hospital in remote Western […]
Speaking up on climate: How nurses and midwives can drive change
Last month, I had the opportunity to present at the Tasmanian Delegates Conference on climate action in nursing. These conferences play a vital role in shaping our collective movements. They bring together nurses from across the state to share ideas, raise concerns, and shape the direction of collective advocacy. They are a chance to step […]
ANMF (Tasmanian Branch) on track towards net zero
At the 2022 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF Tasmanian Branch) Delegates’ Conference, nurse and midwife members challenged the Branch to explore ways to improve its sustainability footprint. Taking the resolution as a “green light” to do more, the Branch, which has under 30 full-time staff working across two offices, one in Hobart and the […]
How workforce reform may also be good for the planet
Australia’s healthcare system is undergoing scrutiny, facing calls for reform not only to improve patient care but also to address its significant environmental impact. Recent reports highlight how reforming the health workforce, particularly in primary care, could lead to better health outcomes for Australians and contribute to climate action. The “Unleashing the Potential of our […]