Our planet faces a series of complex environmental challenges, from pollution of land and oceans to biodiversity loss, climate change, weather volatility and natural disasters.

In response to these challenges, CareFlight has committed to developing, implementing and maintaining an Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP). Among our initiatives, CareFlight is dedicated to increasing our onsite solar energy generation, expanding our use of electric vehicles, improving our approach to responsible investing and focusing on ethical investments that support sustainability.

CareFlight is committed to reducing our environmental impact, improving the sustainability of our business into the future and treating the greatest moral challenge of our time with the seriousness it deserves.

CareFlight’s commitment to sustainability

At CareFlight, we understand the importance of reducing our environmental impacts in order to improve the sustainability of our business into the future. CareFlight’s Environmental Sustainability Plan is aimed at implementing a business strategy that focuses on ensuring CareFlight progresses toward a sustainability goal, whilst recognising the limitations posed by the nature of our work and our institutional capacity as a not-for-profit. Additional details of CareFlight’s commitment to sustainable practices can be found in our current Environmental Policy.

CareFlight is committed to an ESP that adheres to the requirements of international standard ISO 14001. CareFlight already complies with the ISO 14001 standard, which ensures that we have defined achievable goals which can be monitored under the Governance and Reporting framework so that our Board can track the progress of our sustainability goals.

As an organisation, the Board and Management of CareFlight are further committed to:

  • Fostering the sustainable use of the Earth’s resources by “treading lightly,” recognising the approach of Australia’s Indigenous people in minimising our impact on the land
  • Complying with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations, planning policies and related initiatives
  • Setting environmental objectives and targets to ensure continuous improvement
  • Measuring, monitoring and reporting on environmental management initiatives
  • Incorporating environmental better practice into our core business plans and management processes
  • Undertaking responsible resource management practices that aim to prevent pollution and reduce waste
  • Ensuring we work closely with our clients, suppliers and other stakeholders to continually improve our business processes which affect the environment
  • Exploring best practice and innovative environmental management approaches in the aviation and clinical sectors
  • Fostering the initiation and ownership of environmental activities by all our staff through education, thereby building a strong environmentally-aware business culture, and
  • Communicating out Environmental Policy Statement to all staff and making it available to the public

Achieving global goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the heart of a global agenda aiming to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges by 2030 – including ending poverty, bringing more equitable prosperity and protecting the planet.

CareFlight has a role to play in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. The ESP supports CareFlight’s commitment to seven of the SDGs that have an environmental focus.

CareFlight is committed to contributing towards the achievement of the following SDGs:

  • Clean water and sanitation and Affordable and clean energy. CareFlight aims to continually improve energy and water efficiency by investing in high efficiency equipment, fittings and new technologies.
  • Sustainable cities and communities. CareFlight will identify opportunities to reduce staff business travel, including expansion and promotion of enhanced audio-visual (AV) and video conferencing (VC) facilities.
  • Responsible consumption and production. CareFlight will promote reuse over single use, reducing packaging and prioritising recyclable products. We will do this by engaging with suppliers and retailers and improving waste management facilities and practices.
  • Climate action. CareFlight will integrate best practice environmental, social and governance principles within our investment activities.
  • Life below water and Life on land. CareFlight aims to procure goods and services with the lowest environmental impact and greatest economic and social benefits, while implementing strategies to avoid unnecessary consumption.