Key learning objectives:
- Describe national and international climate policies (including Australia’s emission targets and the Paris Agreement) and their relevance to healthcare.
- Recognise the role of infection prevention nurses and hospital staff in advancing sustainability through grassroots initiatives.
- Identify practical sustainability strategies within infection control practice (e.g., glove use, waste reduction, procurement decisions).
- Evaluate opportunities to engage with suppliers and colleagues to embed sustainability into everyday infection control practice.
Speaker Details:
Sarah Ripley, Sustainability Consultant
Sarah Ripley is a sustainability consultant and healthcare leader with a background in perioperative nursing and sustainability management. She brings a unique blend of clinical experience and systems thinking to the pressing challenge of climate adaptation in healthcare. As a sustainability leader, Sarah integrates environmentally responsible practices across clinical and corporate settings, prioritising both patient safety and long-term ecological health. As a climate advocate, she leads education, sparks dialogue, and drives systems change, empowering the health sector to transition from being part of the climate problem to becoming a force for sustainable solutions.