In October 2020, the NHS became the world’s first health service to commit to reaching Carbon Net Zero “….in response to the profound and growing threat to health posed by climate change”. In achieving this goal, the NHS will become the world’s first Net Zero emissions health care system in the world. But, given their size and complexity, there is much to be done.
NHS – tackling the World’s Largest Health Emergency
The NHS goal is to be Net Zero by 2040 for directly controlled emissions, and by 2045 for influenced emissions. This is a vast undertaking given the size and nature of its operations. The NHS is the largest employer in Europe – with approximately 1.4mn employees, and in 2018/19 there were an estimated 564 million patient interactions across its network. While the British public are concerned about the health impacts of climate change, only 26% are aware that the NHS is a major contributor of emissions here in the UK. Overall, the NHS carbon footprint produces roughly the same emissions as Denmark – with the Health & Social Care system in the UK contributing some 4-5% of the overall carbon footprint.
The Challenges of a Net-Zero NHS
While its ambitions are laudable, there are some concerns that the NHS may not meet these targets. The transformation needs to happen during one of the most challenging periods in the NHS’s history. The pandemic, tackling the backlog of care, budget pressures and meeting an ever-increasing service demand means action needs to be driven by a workforce that is understaffed. This, against a backdrop of wider system reorganisation and reform. What’s more, some 62% of emissions come from the supply chain thereby adding to the complexity.
Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment
Given that over half of the NHS’s emissions are derived from their supply chain, work here is well underway. In September 2021, NHS England approved a roadmap to help its suppliers align with their net zero ambitions between now and 2030. The Roadmap mandates that all suppliers should provide a carbon reduction plan for their Scope 1 and 2 emissions from April 2024. From 2027, this will include Scope 3. The following year, the NHS will want to see foot printing for individual products supplied to the NHS and, by 2030, the Evergreen Supplier Assessment will be in full swing.
Digital transformation for a Net-Zero NHS
The NHS also have a commitment to ensure their digital transformation agenda aligns with their ambition to be a net zero health service. In addition to supply chain transformation, digital technologies are already having a positive impact on the sustainability agenda. From implementing technologies that track sustainability progress, to using greener technologies.
Digitisation of day-to-day processes from task allocation to document retention and the shift from paper-based documentation to electronic will also help decrease carbon footprint. Online meetings are going some way to helping reduce emissions associated with travel (currently around 10% of the total NHS emissions), although some forms of these, including GP appointments and patient consultations, are proving to be less popular with the British public.
Everybody has a role to play
Online consultations aside, support from the British public is high given the growing awareness that climate change and health are intrinsically linked. A recent Ipos Mori poll about public perceptions on NHS’s Net Zero ambitions found a widespread acceptance that climate change threatens the health of people globally. Crucially, the staff who work in the NHS widely support further action on climate change. A recent survey shows that 98% of all staff believe that the health and care system should be acting more sustainably.
Professor Charlotte McArdle, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer said, in an article for the Nursing Times, that it was her mission to continue to raise awareness around environmental issues across the health service.
Alongside advice and guidance on how the NHS’s employees can reduce their own carbon footprint and help reduce that of their employer, a fund is now available to support innovation projects that contribute to the delivery of high-quality care, while reducing emissions and improving the sustainability of the NHS.
NHS Progress to Date
Over the last 10 years, the NHS has been taking action to cut carbon emissions while building capacity and resilience into the way that they deliver healthcare. The Delivering a Net Zero NHS report showed that the NHS has both met and exceeded the 2020 targets outlined in the Climate Change Act.
Since, the publication of the strategy, the NHS has invested over £550 million in energy efficiency and renewable energy and has taken steps to ready every part of their organisation to meet their 2040 goal. In a recent blog, Dr Nick Watts, Chief Sustainability Officer for NHS said: “Every NHS Trust in England now has a green plan in place. That’s 212 NHS Trusts, covering more than 1,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities. Together, these board-approved plans will save more than 1 million tonnes of carbon over the next three years. That’s the same as taking 520,000 cars off the road.”
The Journey to Net Zero
The NHS is facing an unparalleled challenge due to its size, the nature of its operations and its complexity. They have set an ambitious and admirable target with a range of plans and goals in place to help them achieve it. Most of us will not face a challenge anywhere near the scale seen by the NHS – but we all have a role to play in helping the UK to reduce its emissions to Net Zero by 2050.
If you are a current supplier to the NHS or the UK Government (or have ambitions to be) the first step is the Carbon Reduction Plan. Measuring your baseline is key… as is your commitment to reducing your footprint to reach Net Zero. If you’d like to find out more about how technology can enable you to do this please get in touch and I’ll be happy to share more insights that will help you on your journey.