The growing threat posed by climate change and its related hazards has become a pressing concern across all sectors of society. As the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, many organisations are urgently exploring strategies to both mitigate its effects and adapt to emerging risks.
ISO
Increasingly, the consideration of climate change impacts will also be added into service standards. A clear example is that earlier this year, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) published a climate change amendment that applies to all ISO management system standards. While climate change may not be relevant to all ISO standards, this modification ensures that every organisation following ISO considers it in their analysis and includes it in the design and implementation of their management systems if applicable.
The Australian Sector
Australian NGOs and community and health organisations are also increasingly recognising the necessity of integrating climate considerations into their core strategies. By proactively addressing climate risks, organisations can enhance their resilience and effectiveness, ensuring they continue to serve their communities amidst the challenges posed by climate change.
In line with this perspective, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has recently introduced a draft Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Healthcare Module. This module features five questions intended to guide health services in integrating climate resilience and environmental sustainability into their leadership, governance, strategy, and culture of care. By adopting this framework, health services can enhance the safety and quality of care they provide while simultaneously addressing the health impacts of climate change and the sector’s role in contributing to it.
Guidance for Boards
ANSVAR, a leading specialist provider of insurance and risk management solutions for the care and community services sector, has recently released ‘Governing Climate Risk’: A Guide for Boards and Senior Managers’. This is an informative document designed to assist organisations in ensuring a well-rounded consideration of climate change. The Guide encourages organisation leaders to ask themselves several questions to drive climate change action and accountability:
- What are the foreseeable changes in our operating environment?
- How would they affect the things that matter to us?
- What can we do to adapt and prepare?
- Will we be able to recover?
- What are our obligations?
- How can we reduce emissions?
By reflecting on these questions, organisations can embed climate risk management into their everyday operations, ensuring that addressing climate-related challenges becomes a normal part of their strategic planning and decision-making processes.
ANSVAR also provides insight into actions that can assist organisations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. These actions include:
- Assessing risks and opportunities;
- Identifying what needs to change;
- Developing a climate action plan; and
- Updating governance and reporting.
ANSVAR’s guide is a very helpful resource that prompts leaders to ask essential questions that can lead to actionable insights and robust climate strategies. This will help organisations to mitigate their environmental impact, and also enhance their resilience in an unpredictable future.
The escalating threat of climate change requires a collective response from all sectors, including NGOs and community health organisations. The recent amendments by ISO and the initiatives launched by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality underscore the critical need for organisations to integrate climate considerations into their strategic frameworks.
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