0 Emission Target – Ambulance Victoria

On 26 March, Ambulance Victoria (AV) announced that they’d be tackling a more ambitious net-zero emissions plan than they had initially promised. This announcement came with AV’s CEO, Associate Professor Tony Walker ASM, declaring he thoroughly agrees with the WHO’s assessment that “climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” AV has been actively combatting this threat to proactively keep the residents of Victoria healthy.

Climate Change Is a Health Issue

Last year, Walker announced VA’s vision to source 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 and to have net-zero emissions for 2050. In his announcement, Walker spoke of climate change not only as an environmental and economic issue but as a health issue as well. This was while referencing that summer’s bushfires and the increase in calls concerning breathing problems that those fires had caused. Worried about the state’s health, he wanted AV to be making more of an effort to prevent these problems.

By the time of that announcement, AV’s larger sites switched to 100% GreenPower™ from a Victoria wind farm. That alone dropped their total emission rates by 7%.

Net-Zero Emissions by 2045

More recently, Walker announced more details, including changes, concerning that initial plan. While they’re still aiming to achieve 100% renewable sources by 2025, they now feel they need to reach their net-zero emissions goal a whole five years earlier, in 2045.

They’ve created the following milestones:

• 2025: 39% emissions reduction (from 2015 baseline)
• 2030: 60% emissions reduction
• 2045: Net zero emissions

Those milestones cover both scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from the company) and scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions associated with energy purchased).

Solar Panels Installed at AV Ambulance Stations

Making progress towards this goal, some of AV’s ambulance stations have installed solar panels as part of the Regional Health Solar Program project. A total of 44kW has already been installed in Victoria’s ambulance stations:

• Echuca – 10kW
• Kyabram – 10kW
• Lara – 8kW
• Torquay – 8kW
• West Wodonga – 8kW

More stations are likely to get solar panels as AV moves towards its net-zero emissions goal.

Fight Climate Change with Solar Miner

Moving towards a sustainable future is a goal that the entire community should share, and solar power is a great way to benefit from green energy. Solar Miner is happy to provide cost-effective solar power to Victoria residents. Contact us today to see how we can help you get your own solar panels in Melbourne or anywhere in Victoria!