As we mark a decade since Healthy Futures was founded, it’s incredible to reflect on how far we’ve come. Ten years ago, we were a small group of health professionals with a big vision: to protect health by tackling climate change. Today we’ve grown into a nationwide movement of doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, students and community allies, all fighting for clean air, clean energy and a safe climate. Together, we’ve turned concern into action and achieved victories that once seemed impossible. Here’s a look at some of the biggest wins we’re celebrating during our 10th anniversary, and how your support made it happen.

From Vision to Victory: Early Wins (2015–2020)

Our journey began with the understanding that climate change is “the greatest threat to global health”. Determined to create an outlet for health workers to take action, our co-founders Harry Jennens and Kate Lardner established Healthy Futures in 2015. One of our first major campaigns set the tone for the decade of impact to follow: 

• Fossil-Free Finances: We challenged health industry superannuation funds to divest from fossil fuels, and won. After five years of grassroots campaigning, multibillion-dollar superfunds HESTA and Aware Super committed to divest from coal companies in 2020, aligning their investments with a healthier future(1). This early victory demonstrated how persistent advocacy can move mountains (and millions of dollars) toward clean energy.

This early win showed the power of health professionals speaking up. It gave us momentum and hope because, if we could help shift big investors like HESTA, what else could we achieve together? 

Taking On Australia’s Biggest Polluter: AGL Campaign (2021–2022)

Fresh off our divestment success, we set our sights on a major source of Australia’s emissions and air pollution: AGL Energy, the country’s largest climate polluter. Over 2021 and 2022, Healthy Futures supporters relentlessly pushed AGL to replace its coal-burning power stations with renewable energy by 2030. Our efforts led to the following noteworthy outcomes: 

• Health voices unite - hundreds call for coal to go: We organised an open letter urging AGL to quit coal by 2030 in line with health recommendations. Over 750 healthcare workers and 25 health organisations ultimately signed on, sending AGL a powerful message from the medical community (2). Never before had so many health professionals come together to demand climate action from a single company.

• Unprecedented shareholder action: In September 2021, we helped achieve a historic first in corporate Australia: a majority of AGLS’s shareholders defied the board and voted in favour of a climate resolution calling for Paris Agreement-aligned targets (3). This was the first time ever that an Australian public company’s shareholders supported a Paris-aligned shareholder resolution at an AGM, a historic result, although the contingent resolution was not formally put (4). The resolution, which essentially called on AGL to plan for coal closure by 2030, sent shockwaves through the industry and put AGL’s board on notice (5). It demonstrated how  investors, spurred on by advocacy from groups like ours, were willing to demand serious climate action. 

• “Die-In” protest  highlights health costs: Our healthcare supporters aren’t just influential in boardrooms; they will take to the streets. On 31 January 2022, dozens of doctors, nurses and allied health workers staged a dramatic climate “die-in” outside AGL’s Melbourne headquarters, lying on the ground in protest while in scrubs and PPE. This symbolic action highlighted the deadly health impacts of burning coal, and it struck a chord across Australia. The protest garnered extensive media coverage, reaching an estimated 250,000 viewers on TV and radio, and drew an outpouring of public support (6). Even more healthcare workers signed our open letter after seeing their colleagues boldly call out AGL’s pollution. (Fun fact: AGL’s staff literally shut the building doors on us during the protest, but our message still broke through).\

• Medical community leadership: In 2022, Australia’s medical establishment added its weight to our campaign. Five leading medical colleges, including the RACGP (GPs), RANZCP (psychiatrists), RANZCOG (obstetricians) and others, released a joint statement echoing our call to replace coal with renewable energy by 2030 (7). This extraordinary letter cited the World Health Organization’s 2030 coal phase-out deadline and the health harms of coal pollution. It’s exactly the kind of leadership we need from health institutions, and it showed that our advocacy had inspired experts at the highest levels to speak out.

• AGL backs down - a win for health and climate: All these efforts culminated in a stunning victory in May 2022. Facing growing public, investor and media pressure, AGL announced it would cancel its controversial merger plan, a scheme that would have split the company into a “clean” retail arm and “dirty” coal generation arm (8). The backdown was swift and dramatic: it triggered the resignation of AGL’s CEO, its Board Chair and two other directors. In the aftermath, AGL launched a strategic review to reform its business, and by late 2022, the company committed to bring forward the closure of Loy Yang A — its biggest and dirtiest coal power station — forward 10 years (9). This meant that Loy Yang A, a huge polluter in Victoria’s Latrobe valley, could shut down as early as 2035 instead of operating into the 2040s. We calculated that thousands of lives will be saved as a result, since an accelerated coal exit will prevent deadly air pollution and reduce climate risks. We are so proud that the relentless advocacy of health workers helped force Australia’s #1 polluter to change course in a healthier direction.

In just two years, we went from delivering letters in AGL’s lobby to seeing AGL’s leadership ousted and its coal retirement timeline dramatically improved. These wins showed the country that when health professionals speak up together, even corporate giants have to listen.

Gas-Free Homes: Protecting Lungs and Climate (2023-2024)

After targeting coal power, Healthy Futures turned up the heat on another major threat to healthy communities: fossil gas in our homes. Gas stoves and heaters release toxic air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and benzene that worsen asthma and other health issues, especially in children, and of course gas, is a significant contributor to climate change. Our Gas-Free Healthy Homes campaigns in Victoria and New South Wales aimed to tackle this problem at its source, and recent developments show we’re succeeding in a big way: 

• Victoria bans gas in new homes: In mid-2023, the Victorian Government announced a landmark decision to ban gas connections in all new homes and residential buildings from 1 January 2024 (10). New public buildings like schools, hospitals and police stations will be all-electric as well. Health professionals immediately lauded the move as “the right choice for our health and the climate” (11). And this win was no coincidence: it came after Healthy Futures led a coalition of health organisations calling for exactly this policy. In May 2023, we coordinated an open letter to the Energy Minister (then Lily D’Ambrosio) urging an end to new gas hookups, which was endorsed by 30 health groups including RACGP Victoria (12). Our supporters, like Dr Aadhil Aziz, even met with the Minister in person to make the health case for phasing out gas (13). The government listened. By eliminating gas in new developments, Victoria is taking huge strides to cut indoor air pollution, prevent childhood asthma and reduce greenhouse emissions. This victory will benefit millions of Victorians in the years ahead: cleaner air in our kitchens and living rooms, and cleaner skies for our climate.

• Empowering change in NSW: In New South Wales, we’ve been working hard to spark similar action. Healthy Futures teamed up with the NSW Nurses & Midwives Association, Doctors for the Environment Australia, Lock the Gate and 350.org to put gas phase-out on the agenda for the new NSW state government. While NSW hasn’t (yet) announced a statewide ban, our advocacy is paying off at the local level. Thanks to community pressure and partnerships (like 350.org’s Electrify campaign) at least five NSW local councils have adopted policies banning gas infrastructure in new buildings (14). Each council that commits to all-electric construction is creating healthier, safer homes for residents and building momentum for broader state action. From council chambers to Parliament, we’ll keep pushing until all NSW homes can be healthy and gas-free.

• Solar for social housing - a win for equity: Clean, affordable energy shouldn’t be a luxury. That’s why we started a campaign to bring renewables and efficiency to low-income and vulnerable communities. In 2023, the Commonwealth launched the $300 million Social Housing Energy Upgrade Partnership; in 2024, it added $500m so more than 100,000 social homes can be upgraded nationally. (15). This massive program, influenced by an open letter to federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, will lower power bills and improve living conditions for tens of thousands of families, while cutting carbon emissions (15). It’s a huge step forward for climate justice and health equity. Every household deserves clean air and affordable energy, and this win brings us closer to that reality.

From stoves to heaters, the push to electrify our homes is gaining unstoppable momentum. Healthy Futures helped lead the charge, and now governments are taking action to protect families from gas pollution. It’s a win-win for health and the climate, and we’re not finished yet.

Climate-Smart Healthcare: Greener Hospitals and Clean Air

Healthcare workers understand that we must “first do no harm”, and that principle applies not only to patient care but also to how our healthcare system operates. Over the past decade, Healthy Futures has spearheaded efforts to make hospitals and clinics more sustainable and climate-friendly. We’re happy to report major wins in this area, demonstrating that what’s good for the planet is good for patients too.

• Campaigning for green hospitals nationwide: Imagine a hospital that heals patients and heals the planet. In 2024, we launched our All-Electric Healthy Hospitals campaign, calling for the federal government to fund feasibility studies for 9 public hospitals in every state and territory to be retrofitted as all-electric, as well as build all new hospitals as all-electric. The response has been phenomenal. We secured public endorsements from major medical institutions, from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons to the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, all backing the push for fossil-free hospitals. We’ve met with policymakers in Canberra to promote federal support, and seven influential MPs and Senators (including doctors in Parliament like Dr Sophie Scamps, Dr Helen Haines and Dr Monique Ryan) have since endorsed our campaign (16). We submitted a federal budget request to fund pilot projects and conducted a national survey of hospital workers on sustainability (17). Thanks to this advocacy, the Australian healthcare sector is waking up to the idea that hospitals can (and must) be powered by clean energy. The endorsements and political support we’ve gained show that our message is resonating widely.

• All-Electric Hospitals become reality: In 2024, it happened. The Australian Capital Territory opened its first all-electric hospital expansion, a building at Canberra Hospital that runs entirely on electricity (no gas) and is powered 100% by renewable energy (18). Healthy Futures has been advocating for all-electric, zero-emissions healthcare, so this is a milestone we celebrate. In 2025, Frankston Hospital in Victoria followed suit with its own 12-storey clinical tower that is also 100% powered by renewable energy. The Frankston Hospital project includes 1,600 solar panels and is expected to cut the hospital's carbon footprint by over 4,000 tonnes per year (19). These are shining examples of what climate-resilient healthcare can look like, providing world-class care without fueling climate change. We’ve showcased Canberra and Frankston as models and are calling for all new hospital builds to follow suit.

• Government leadership on healthcare emissions. Our campaigning helped encourage policy commitments at the state level too. The Victorian Government announced that all public hospitals and government buildings will be run on 100% renewable electricity by 2025, a huge move for cutting pollution (20).  In addition, Victoria committed that any new hospital designed from 2024 onward will be built without gas infrastructure (21). We welcomed these commitments wholeheartedly. As Dr Aadhil Aziz of RACGP noted, shifting hospitals and public facilities to clean energy is not just climate-friendly, it directly reduces illnesses like asthma and heart disease caused by coal and gas pollution (22). Of course, we’re keeping watch to ensure these promises are implemented (for example, making sure projects like the New West Gippsland Hospital are fully electric) (23). But there’s no doubt that Victoria is stepping up as a leader in sustainable healthcare, in no small part due to the pressure and expertise from groups like Healthy Futures.

• Clean air wins through stronger standards: Healthy Futures has consistently pushed for stricter pollution standards to protect health. We’ve made submissions to government consultations and gathered community input to demand cleaner air. In one notable example, our Freedom of Information request in 2021 helped prompt a Fairfax front-page investigation into serious issues at AGL’s Bayswater coal power station(24). This kind of work keeps the spotlight on why we need robust regulations. In NSW, the EPA has been reviewing coal-fired power station environment protection licences since 2023, and has added new greenhouse-gas emission reporting requirements to all power stations licences (25). We will keep fighting for stronger air quality standards so that no Australian community has to breathe air that would be illegal in other countries. 

From installing solar panels on hospitals to tightening air pollution limits, Healthy Futures has been at the forefront of aligning healthcare with climate care. Our wins show that healthy people need a healthy planet, and we’re helping the health sector lead by example.

Exposing “Invisible” Threats: Methane and Air Pollution

When we talk about climate change, CO2 usually gets all the attention. But over the past few years, Healthy Futures has been making sure Australia doesn’t ignore the other dangerous greenhouse gas: methane. Methane from coal mines and gas fields is an 80-times more potent climate pollutant than CO2 in the short term, and it leaks and flares from operations often without the public realising. Worse, those methane leaks contribute to harmful ground-level ozone smog, affecting our lungs. We decided to tackle this “invisible” crisis head-on, and our efforts have achieved some first-ever wins: 

• Australia’s first methane health report: In 2024, Healthy Futures compiled and launched Australia’s first comprehensive report on the health effects of methane pollution, titled Toxic Air, Urgent Action: Unveiling a Methane Health Crisis (26).This report pulls back the curtain on how methane leaking from coal and gas sites isn’t just a climate issue; it’s a public health emergency. From exacerbating asthma and respiratory diseases via ozone smog to fueling extreme weather disasters, methane’s impacts on health are far-ranging (27) (28). We unveiled the report at a high-profile launch event in Sydney with leading doctors, researchers and policymakers, generating media coverage and international attention. By publishing this report, we armed advocates and decision-makers with the evidence needed to crack down on methane pollution.

• Policy change on methane emissions: Our methane campaign has also helped put health squarely in Australia’s methane conversation. Healthy Futures and allied organisations met with policymakers, wrote to Minister Chris Bowen and built strong public pressure for better methane reporting and stronger action. The federal government has since committed to improving methane measurement and accountability, a critical first step in cutting pollution and protecting community health (29). 

• Mobilising health professionals in methane advocacy: We made sure health experts’ voices were heard loud and clear during this campaign by facilitating over 100 health professionals to personally email Minister Bowen urging strong methane rules. We organised three high-level meetings with the Minister’s office, where healthcare workers (including representatives from the Australian Nursing & Midwife Federation, RACGP and ACEM) directly pressed for methane action. And we built a coalition of support, with 15 leading medical colleges and organisations backing the campaign, recognising that cutting methane is critical to protecting health. This breadth of support from the health sector gave our campaign tremendous credibility, and as a result, when the government announced improved methane policies, it specifically acknowledged health and community concerns. 

From an issue most Australians never heard of, to concrete government steps to rein. That is impact. We’re proud that we shone a light on this hazard and will continue to push until methane pollution is slashed for good.

Building a Health and Climate Movement

None of these wins happened in a vacuum. They are the result of people power: the health workers and community members who have volunteered, donated, rallied, written submissions, met with MPs and so much more. One of our greatest achievements in ten years is the movement we’ve built together: 

• Growing our network: What started as a handful of concerned doctors has blossomed into a network of over 1,400 healthcare champions and supporters across Australia. Our supporters, volunteer base and partnerships have grown year by year. We’re nurses in rural towns, surgeons in big city emergency departments, medical students, midwives, paramedics, pharmacists, public health experts and everyday community members who care about health and climate. This diverse support gives Healthy Futures its strength. When we speak, policymakers know we represent voices from every corner of the health sector.

• Powered by your support: We are continually amazed by the generosity of our community. In 2024 alone, supporters contributed over $18,000 to power Healthy Futures’ campaigns. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every donation has fueled our ability to take action - organising events, hiring campaigners and researching reports. We’ve also been fortunate to have matching donors and health professionals step up with grants, multiplying the impact of individual gifts. These funds are the engine behind the wins you've read about. Thank you to everyone who has chipped in: you’re quite literally buying a healthier future for Australia!

• New leaders and allies: Over the past decade we’ve invested in people. We’ve trained health professionals in advocacy, media engagement and community organising.  We’ve watched volunteers blossom into campaign leads and spokespeople. We’ve also forged strong alliances, with groups like Doctors for the Environment, Climate and Health Alliance and Friends of the Earth Australia and many more, because we know we’re stronger together. Perhaps one of the most heartening developments is seeing health voices become a respected force in climate conversations. Media, government and industry now recognise when healthcare workers speak up about climate, it’s time to pay attention. That culture shift is a win in itself.

In short, Healthy Futures’ first 10 years have shown the power of collective action. Every petition signed, every rally attended, every op-ed written, every meeting with a politician - it all added up to the wins we’re celebrating today. We often say “climate change is a health emergency, and healthcare workers are stepping up to the challenge.” The dedication of our supporters have proven this true. We hope you’re as proud as we are of what we’ve accomplished together.

Looking Ahead: The Next Decade of Action

Celebrating these wins is important, but we know the work isn’t over. The climate crisis is accelerating, and so is the urgency to protect our communities from its health impacts. As we embark on our next ten years, Healthy Futures is filled with hope and determination. The success stories in this post show that change is possible. Coal plants can close. Gas can be phased out. Hospitals can go all-electric. But these changes need us to keep pushing, innovating and growing the movement.

Our vision for the next 10 years is bold: an Australia with clean air, safe climate and healthy people, protected from fossil fuel pollution. We want to see the last coal power stations retire by 2030, a nation powered by 100% renewable energy, methane emissions slashed and climate resilience built into every hospital and healthcare system. We want future generations to live without the fear of climate-driven disasters or pollution-related disease.

To get there, we’ll need your help more than ever. Healthy Futures is a people-powered, not-for-profit organisation, and while we don’t have the deep pockets of industry, we have something stronger: passionate supporters and truth on our side. As we face the next challenges, we invite you to stand with us. 

Become a Monthly Donor, Help Us Achieve the Next Big Win: One of the best ways you can support Healthy Futures’ work is by becoming a regular monthly donor. Even a modest contribution each month (the cost of a coffee or two) makes a huge difference. Reliable funding allows us to plan ahead, respond quickly to new opportunities and campaign steadily for long-term solutions. It powers the research, community organising and advocacy that create wins like those we’ve shared above. If you’re inspired by what we’ve achieved in 10 years, please become a Monthly Donor and fueling ten more years of positive change.

Thank you! To every healthcare worker, student, community member, donor and partner who has been part of Healthy Futures: thank you. These wins are your wins. They belong to all of us who have hoped, worked and persevered for a healthier Australia. This anniversary is as much about celebrating you as it is about celebrating Healthy Futures. We’re excited for what comes next, and we know that with your continued support, anything is possible.

– Harry, Bree, Bronwyn, Rae and Ursula 

Healthy Futures Team 

Sources

1. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/meet_harry#:~:text=where%20anyone%20who%20cares%20about,from%20coal%20companies%20in%202020
2. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/winagl#:~:text=Aligning%20with%20the%20Paris%20Agreement,organisations%20have%20joined%20the%20campaign
3. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/agl_feels_the_heat#:~:text=Yes%21%20Extraordinarily%2C%20thanks%20to%20these,corporate%20Australia%20at%20AGL%E2%80%99s%20AGM
4. https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Licensing-and-Regulation/Legislation-and-compliance/about-the-poeo-act/Remake-of-POEO-Regulations-2022 
5. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/agl_feels_the_heat#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20the,fired%20power%20stations%20by%202030
6. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/diein_review#:~:text=We%20received%20a%20media%20report,segments%20was%20around%20250%2C000%20people
7. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/colleges_statement#:~:text=Medical%20colleges%20call%20for%20coal,out%20by%202030
8. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/winagl#:~:text=After%20over%20a%20year%20of,rapidly%20to%20safe%20renewable%20energy
9. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/winagl#:~:text=UPDATE%3A%20In%20late%20September%202022,pressuring%20Australia%27s%20largest%20climate%20polluter
10. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/gas-phase-out-lauded-as-the-right-choice-for-healt#:~:text=A%20decision%20by%20the%20Victorian,has%20been%20welcomed%20by%20GPs
11. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/gas-phase-out-lauded-as-the-right-choice-for-healt#:~:text=said
12. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/gas-phase-out-lauded-as-the-right-choice-for-healt#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20changes%20meant%20that,had%20to%20install%20gas%20connections
13. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/gas-phase-out-lauded-as-the-right-choice-for-healt#:~:text=organisation%20Healthy%20Futures%20to%20Minister,gas%20connections%20to%20be%20halted
14. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/healthy_futures_2024_a_year_in_review#:~:text=,new%20builds%20across%20five%20councils
15. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/healthy_futures_2024_a_year_in_review#:~:text=Solar%20Victory%3A%20%24500%20Million%20for,Social%20Housing
16. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/healthy_futures_2024_a_year_in_review#:~:text=,Steggall%2C%20Dr%20Monique%20Ryan%2C%20Allegra
17. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/healthy_futures_2024_a_year_in_review#:~:text=Chris%20Bowen%20and%20Ged%20Kearney,enhance%20climate%20resilience%20in%20healthcare
18. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/cbr_electric_hospital_post
19. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/all_electric_frankston#:~:text=Powered%20by%20100
20. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/media_release_vic_sec_announcement#:~:text=Healthy%20Futures%2C%20an%20interdisciplinary%20organisation,renewable%20electricity%20by%202025
21. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/media_release_vic_sec_announcement#:~:text=on%20100,2025
22. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/media_release_vic_sec_announcement#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20know%20that%20coal%20and,of%20the%20RACGP%20Victorian%20Faculty
23. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/media_release_vic_sec_announcement#:~:text=While%20the%20Victorian%20Government%20has,might%20fall%20through%20the%20cracks
24. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/bayswater
25. https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/News/Media-Releases/2023/EPAMedia231220-Power-stations-licence-review-identifies-areas-for-change 
26. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/methane_report_launch#:~:text=Following%20Healthy%20Futures%27%20successful%20work,health%20effects%20of%20methane%20pollution 
27. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/methane_report_launch#:~:text=Because%20of%20methane%E2%80%99s%20role%20in,save%20the%20planet%20and%20lives
28. https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/methane_report_launch#:~:text=Beyond%20the%20immediate%20climate%20impact%2C,ensure%C2%A0cleaner%20air%20and%20healthier%20communities
29. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/government-response-cca-nger-review.pdf