Save Lives with Solar
Healthy Futures are campaigning to help protect people from extreme temperatures whilst working towards a safe climate. Across Australia, we are calling on the federal government to fund rooftop solar on social housing.
The problem
Without adequate protection, heat-related illnesses kill thousands of Australians every year. Extreme heat can trigger heart attacks, kidney failure, strokes and increase the risk of dehydration and other health impacts. Older people, children, people with pre-existing health conditions and people unable to afford air conditioning are most vulnerable.
Many social housing dwellings are poor quality and prone to temperature extremes, which are too expensive for residents to remedy. The facts:
Roughly one-third of heat-related deaths can be attributed to climate change.
Many social housing dwellings are poor quality and prone to temperature extremes.
A 2023 survey of people on low incomes by the Australian Council of Social Services found that 94.5% avoided using air conditioning because it is too expensive.
The solution
Adequate installation of solar panels, renewable-powered reverse cycle air conditioning and other retrofits to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance. These measures will not only protect people from extreme temperatures and drive down costs of living; they will also mitigate climate change and its health impacts in the long term by reducing dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity.
What are we doing?
As healthcare workers and community members, our collective voices have an impact, and together we can request the Australian government protect people in social housing from the increasing health impacts of climate change. We’re asking the government to commit to:
Rooftop solar on at least 30% of Australian social housing by the end of 2026,
Access to affordable renewable electricity for social housing where rooftop solar is impractical, e.g. via power purchasing agreements and/or battery storage
Installation of reverse cycle air conditioning and implement other energy efficient retrofits to achieve safe temperatures in all social housing
What can you do?
Please sign our open letter calling on the federal government for a budget commitment to install solar panels and air conditioning, and implement other retrofits to achieve safe temperatures in social housing.
Help us build awareness and share our work with colleagues and friends.
If you’re part of an organisation that could support this campaign, please ask your organisation to email [email protected] and we will add your logo to the open letter.
Share our campaign using our social media tiles.
Join us for our next supporters meeting on February 21st to hear about our campaigns and connect with like-minded people. RSVP here.
Please get in touch with our campaigner Ursula at [email protected] if you’d like to be involved in another way.