Celebrating 10 years of Healthy Futures!

This year we marked a decade since Healthy Futures was founded, it was 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. To hear more about our biggest wins and how your support made it happen head to: https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/10_years_of_wins 

Methane Campaign: 2025 

Healthy Futures continued work on the “Methane is the New CO2” campaign, lobbying state and federal governments as well as financial institutions to reduce methane pollution. In response to our and others’ advocacy, the federal government established a new expert panel to advise on best measurement of fugitive methane emissions. Meanwhile, we built pressure on health super funds, particularly HESTA, and developed legal advice regarding the fiduciary risks of continued gas investments. 

This year, we also held close talks with HESTA, encouraging them to divest from methane-polluting companies. Whilst they were attuned and open to these conversations, they were unwilling to drop their ongoing, relatively small ownership in Santos and Woodside, two super methane-polluting companies. To alert HESTA members to the harms of these investments, we handed out flyers at a number of HESTA events, and their offices and at a HESTA awards ceremony alongside Market Forces and Climate Choir Melbourne. 

Simultaneously, we conducted a dossier investigation exposing the harms of ongoing gas connections in public housing and public hospital renovations in New South Wales.

Healthy Hospitals Campaign: 2025

The past 12 months saw us continue to build support and momentum for a model to transition all hospitals and health infrastructure in Australia to become fully electric and powered by renewables.

New endorsements came from the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA), Lung Foundation Australia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Foundation (ANMF) joining a growing list of health organisations and medical colleges calling on the Australian Government to support our plan to electrify all public hospitals.

Our Healthy Hospitals pilot program is ready to go, and will deliver feasibility studies for nine hospitals across the country that will produce Australia’s first comprehensive blueprint for transitioning public hospitals from fossil gas to all-electric, renewable-powered, climate-resilient energy systems.

No national framework currently exists for the electrification of existing hospitals. This project provides the foundational feasibility work required to make this ambitious yet critical goal a reality.

Elevating Health Voices and Strengthening Partnerships

This year we launched Voices for a Healthy Future, a new storytelling series across Instagram, Meta, and YouTube that highlights the incredible people who make up our movement. From doctors to community advocates, these stories remind us that real change is driven by everyday people choosing to act for a healthier future.

We were proud to share our work and amplify health voices at major events including the CAHA National Conference, DEA’s National Conference, the Australian Health Design Conference, and the Climate Crisis Summit Canberra.

We also partnered with DEA to help deliver community forums in regional Victoria and NSW in two regions already experiencing the health impacts of climate change. These conversations help bring local communities, clinicians, and leaders together to chart a safer path forward.

Ursula Alquier, Healthy Hospitals Coordinator speaking at the Australian Health Design Conference, Adelaide, October 2025

Honouring Our Team Members

This year we said goodbye to two much-loved team members — Rae, our Digital Campaigner & Fundraiser, and Bree, our Community Organiser. Due to a reduction in philanthropic funding, their roles came to an end, but their impact will continue to shape Healthy Futures for years to come.

Across nearly five years of combined service, Rae and Bree brought tireless dedication, creativity, and heart to our campaigns and our community. We’re deeply grateful for everything they contributed to building a safer, more just world, and we wish them both every success in the next chapter of their journey.

Looking Ahead: A New Chapter for Healthy Futures in 2026

As we look ahead to 2026, Healthy Futures will be shifting to a more volunteer-led structure, a transition that opens exciting new opportunities for supporters to play an even bigger role in our work.

While our staffing model is changing, our mission remains unchanged. We are as committed as ever to tackling the greatest health threat of our time and continuing our flagship campaign to electrify Australia’s public hospitals and reduce their carbon footprint.

This next chapter is about strengthening our community, deepening our grassroots power, and ensuring that health voices continue to drive meaningful climate action. With your support, we’ll keep pushing for the systemic change needed to protect the health of every Australian.

Monthly Donors - the key to our ongoing success

Our monthly donor base has grown and we are so grateful to those who give, but we still need to keep building on this. Regular tax-deductible donations play a critical role in keeping our campaigns going, so please consider becoming an important part of our team and donating today: https://www.healthyfutures.net.au/donate