Holstep Health acknowledges the connection between health and the impacts of climate change. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact.
As a community based not-for-profit organisation, we care about what we do and how we do it. Our drive and commitment to make a positive impact on the world goes beyond our wide range of health services. It’s embedded in our strategic directions and the way we work every day.
Our sustainability goals are to reduce our carbon emissions, reduce waste and be more climate resilient, as well as increasing awareness and understanding of climate change. We aim to communicate the importance of environmental sustainability with our staff and our local community.
Our key sustainability focuses:
We are committed to actively reducing our carbon emissions.
In 2025, we completed our first carbon footprint assessment as Holstep Health, which established a clear baseline to measure our progress.
Our total was 779.1 tonnes of carbon emissions, which included electricity, fuel and other key sources from across all our sites. This baseline was consistent with average emissions of similar community health organisations.
By publicly reporting our emissions and tracking our progress through Trace, we remain transparent and accountable as we work towards carbon reduction.
Our climate resilience commitment is clear:
We help our organisation, our staff and the local community to prepare for, adapt to and thrive in a changing Victorian climate.
We are strengthening our systems, facilities and services to ensure we continue to deliver high-quality, person-centred care in the face of climate-related challenges. This includes extreme heat, severe weather events and other environmental risks – all of which we regularly raise awareness of through our digital platforms, which helps our local communities.
Through sharing our focus on climate resilience and environmental sustainability, we also contribute to developing a greater awareness and understanding within the local community we serve.
We are working towards a circular economy approach to waste management. This includes:
- Reducing waste generation, increasing opportunities for reuse and recycling, and improving the responsible use of resources across all our sites.
- Strengthening our purchasing practices and working with suppliers to prioritise products made from recycled and sustainable materials wherever possible.
We’re embedding clear accountability, reporting and continuous improvement.
We are committed to building a culture where environmental responsibility is understood, supported, and actioned at every level.
Key sustainability achievements to date:
- Development and ongoing implementation of a Climate Action and Adaptation Policy.
- Adoption of greener energy solutions at our sites, including the installation of solar batteries and solar panels (in progress) and more energy-efficient lighting.
- Phased roll out of hybrid vehicles across our sites.
- Increased use of local suppliers, partnerships and collaborations.
- Improved recycling and waste reduction practices.
- Increased awareness and engagement of staff through an internal sustainability newsletter and “Green Team”.
- Climate commitment messaging for our consumers through the central Holstep phone lines and social media ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign.
Our sustainability commitment in action
Sustainability is embedded across our organisation. Environmental sustainability and climate change resilience guides our work. Activities are overseen by the Environmental Sustainability Committee who report to the Board of Directors via the Executive Leadership Group.
Our activity is supported and guided by our Environmental Sustainability Advisor, who also leads our on-the-ground “Green Team” across all our sites.
Together, we implement practical initiatives, raise awareness among staff and the local community, and set clear targets so that we are always improving and reducing our environmental impact.