Only half of HSE steering group attended meetings to discuss its climate action plan

The HSE’s climate action strategy was officially launched in June 2023 aiming to .achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050., while striving to deliver .healthcare which is environmentally and socially sustainable'.

Meetings of a HSE steering group to discuss its implementation of its climate action strategy achieved just 50% attendance, an internal audit investigation has found.

A report stemming from the probe says that the establishment of Regional Green Committees has been “delayed”, which could result in “an unco-ordinated approach” and a “clear lack of ownership” in terms of implementing the HSE’s climate strategy regionally.

It added that there is a lack of updates to the strategy being delivered, which could be an indicator “of potential weaknesses in climate action governance”.

A “low level of attendance” was noted across five quarterly meetings of the climate action steering group between February 2024 and March 2025 where on average only 50% of the group’s membership turned up, the report said, suggesting further potential evidence of weaknesses in terms of how the strategy is being implemented.

The report further noted the lack of a “comprehensive, consolidated database on the impact of extreme weather events... on Irish healthcare facilities”, a deficiency which could “result in the HSE not being able to identify climate change vulnerabilities”.

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It further raised the issue of the HSE’s “failure” to conduct a resilience assessment on the vulnerabilities of its portfolio to “natural disasters and other hazards”, a failing which “carries significant risks” it said.

The HSE’s climate action strategy was officially launched in June 2023 aiming to “achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050”, while striving to deliver “healthcare which is environmentally and socially sustainable”.

The healthcare sector contributes roughly 5% of all global greenhouse emissions, predominantly via the energy used to power facilities and supply chains.

The climate change action steering group consists of members drawn from six workstreams from across the HSE with titles such as ‘sustainable procurement’ and ‘greener clinical models of care’. Its membership also includes representatives from each of the HSE’s health regions.

Recommendations

On the low attendance at steering group meetings, the report recommended as ‘high’ priority that a “comprehensive review” be carried out of the group’s membership, together with an assessment as to why attendance was so low and what could be done to address same, with the HSE accepting the recommendation.

It further recommended as a matter of high priority that the HSE expedite the establishment of all Regional Green Committees which the report said should be chaired by “individuals with sufficient authority”, adding that a monitoring mechanism should be introduced to track the progress of same.

A spokesperson for the HSE said it “welcomes” the findings of the report and “fully accepts and is progressing all of the recommendations made”, adding that the HSE remains “fully committed to reducing emissions”.