Keynote Address Beyond Tokenism: Why Planetary Health Must Be Embedded in Nursing Practice and Education Standards
| Thursday, July 24, 2025 |
| 9:40 AM - 10:00 AM |
| Royal Theatre |
Overview
Presenter: Aletha Ward PhD., MBA., BNurs., R.N., GAICD. FACN. MAPNA
Speaker
Dr Aletha Ward FACN
Climate health researcher and policy specialist
University Of Queensland
Keynote Address - Beyond Tokenism: Why Planetary Health Must Be Embedded in Nursing Practice and Education Standards
9:30 AM - 9:50 AMAbstract
In the face of accelerating climate and ecological breakdown, planetary health can no longer be considered an ‘optional extra’ in nursing. Yet, despite the evidence and leadership from within the profession, planetary health remains largely absent from both our national practice standards and education standards. This keynote challenges the profession to reflect: can we truly claim to lead without addressing the health of the planet that sustains us? With a critical but constructive lens, Dr Aletha Ward explores how nursing must reimagine its professional identity and ethical responsibility to include planetary stewardship—and why our standards must evolve, urgently.
Biography
Dr Aletha Ward is a climate health researcher and policy specialist, leading the national nursing policy response in climate health. Aletha is the chair of the Climate Health Faculty for the Australian College of Nursing (ACN), Ambassador for Climate Action Nurses, Non-executive board member for Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), the climate health representative for APNA, and the pillar co-lead for the advocacy pill for the Planetary Health Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives. Aletha co-founded and served as the inaugural chair of Climate Action Nurses and received Fellowship from the ACN in 2023 for her contribution to climate health. Aletha was called as an expert witness in a senate hearing on climate change and intergenerational equity in 2024. Aletha is passionate about raising the voice of nurses and midwives across Australia, driving impactful change.
