In this follow-up to our last episode on climate resilience, Host Laura Kirkvold sits down with James Hughes, Technical Director for Climate and Resilience and Strategic Consulting at Tonkin + Taylor to elaborate on the topic, with a focus on the healthcare sector in New Zealand.
In this follow-up to our last episode on climate resilience, Host Laura Kirkvold, Sustainability Working Group Leader with Inogen Alliance and Consultant with Antea Group USA, sits down with James Hughes, Technical Director for Climate and Resilience and Strategic Consulting at Tonkin + Taylor to elaborate on the topic, with a focus on the healthcare sector in New Zealand. James highlights the interconnection between environmental challenges and systemic disparities, including access to healthcare in a timely manner.
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Guest Quote:
“ When you start looking at the broader, interconnected issues with delivering a healthcare system over the long term, and that requires, obviously funding from government, ongoing improvements to the healthcare system, at the same time at which climate change impacts are not only affecting the healthcare system, but the broader economy. You can quite plausibly develop scenarios where all those things coincide in a very difficult situation and problematic situation where funding goes down, climate impacts go up and, for example, waiting times increase, more people transition to private healthcare, if they can afford it.”
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Time Stamps
(00:29) Tonkin + Taylor’s report: Key findings
(04:09) How the healthcare context is unique
(08:38) How climate risk exacerbates inequities
(11:26) Recommendations for companies
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Sponsor copy
Rethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety and sustainability services working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit http://www.inogenalliance.com/ to learn more.
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Links
Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-kirkvold-4464b3a/
James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hughes-3b337524/