Bupa is aiming to turn a record number of steps into more than $1 million in funding for local planting projects as part of the 2025 Healthy Cities Challenge.

Now in its third year, the Healthy Cities Challenge encourages Bupa’s employees, along with corporate and community partners, to get active during October to unlock investment into sustainability projects focused on promoting green spaces in urban areas. In 2024, the program saw more than 239,000 native trees and plants sown across local communities through partnerships with Landcare Australia and Trees that Count in New Zealand.

Bupa Asia Pacific CEO, Nick Stone said momentum for the program continued to build, with more people wanting to get involved to help make our cities greener and healthier for people and the planet.

“We’re hoping to have a record number of participants this year, with more than 15,000 people across Australia and New Zealand taking more than three billion steps during the month of October. By doing so, we will unlock more investment to revitalise more green spaces in more local communities,” Mr Stone said.

“The Healthy Cities Challenge means much more than simply logging steps, it’s a movement advocating for vibrant urban ecosystems and more active communities, all of which helps keep people healthier in both mind and body.”

The Challenge takes place amidst Bupa research suggesting 46 per cent of Aussies are stressed about the negative impact modern society is having on the environment, including 57 per cent of people aged 18- 29.

“Climate change is an issue that the healthcare industry must face, with the sector estimated to generate 4.4% of global emissions”^[1].

“While the Healthy Cities Challenge is not a silver bullet, it’s a testament to Bupa’s ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with community, regulatory and health sector partners, and our people and customers, to drive proactive change one step at a time and one tree at a time,” Mr Stone said.

The 2025 Healthy Cities program follows the launch of a new report developed in partnership between the Sustainable Markets Initiative, the Resilient Cities Network and Bupa detailing how climate-conscious action can save 247,000 lives each year and cut healthcare costs by $14 billion in the region.

It also comes off the back of Bupa’s recent sponsorship of Fed Square’s RESET Festival, which involved a month-long program of sustainability events and workshops, along with the announcement of the Bupa Foundation’s 2025 Community Grants recipients who shared in more than $600,000 in funding for local environmental and mental health programs.

Bupa Asia Pacific Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Roger Sharp said the psychological effects of being active in green spaces are well known, but in modern life, many of us are time poor.

“The Healthy Cities Challenge is designed to help remind us that by taking a few minutes out of our busy lives each day to get active outside, we can develop consistent, healthy lifestyle habits that reconnect us with the natural world,” Mr Sharp said.

Further information on Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge can be found here: www.bupa.com.au/healthycities

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