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Green Plan

Aspiring to provide sustainable healthcare 
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A Greener future for CLCH 

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and providing sustainable healthcare to ensure better health for future generations. We will work with patients, staff, local communities, and partners to ensure that our organisation is on a path toward a cleaner, greener, healthier, and more equitable future.

We want to embed sustainable models of care, and ensure our operations and estate are as efficient, sustainable and resilient as they can be.

CLCH strategic focus on sustainability

The Trust Board places great importance on environmental sustainability which is one of four strategic priorities set out in the CLCH Integrated Strategy (2020-25) 

The Trust senior responsible officer for sustainability is Elizabeth Hale, Director of Improvement.  

The latest CLCH Green Plan (2024-26) was published in February 2024. Key areas of focus include:

  • Reducing our energy usage and carbon emissions annually 
  • Minimising the impact of travel through cycling / electric vehicles
  • Facilitating remote and mobile working
  • Reducing waste
  • Using more efficient equipment
  • Rationalising our estate

CLCH is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and our Green Plan sets out how we will support the Greener NHS programme and the Net Zero NHS plan. 

The NHS Net Zero report published in October 2020, sets out new targets for carbon reduction as well as a methodology for carbon measurement classification. The targets for the emissions are as follows:

  • we control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction compared with a 1990 baseline (equivalent to a reduction of 47% compared with current levels) by 2028 to 2032.
  • we can influence (our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction compared with a 1990 baseline (equivalent to a reduction of 73% compared with current levels) by 2036 to 2039.

The NHS Carbon Footprint and Footprint Plus are categorised as shown in the diagram below.

The Trust’s carbon footprint was calculated in accordance with the NHS Carbon Footprint methodology, with the support of energy consultants Ricardo PLC. The 2019/20 financial year was selected as the baseline year. This provides a picture of emissions that is unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019/20, the CLCH NHS Carbon Footprint was 5,691 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) as shown in the graph below.  

 

The CLCH NHS Carbon Footprint Plus, which also includes supply chain emissions procurement is estimated at 22,000 tCO2e (ie NHS Carbon Footprint of 5,691 tCO2e plus an estimated additional 16,000 tCO2e from the supply chain).

Following the assessment of the Trust's NHS Carbon Footprint carbon emissions, a number of pathway options were considered to hit the net zero target. In November 2021 the Board approved an aspirational pathway with early investment and higher cumulative carbon savings. This reflects CLCH’s commitment to show strategic leadership in the light of the urgency of the climate crisis.

An addendum to the Trust Green Plan has been produced detailing our carbon footprint and reduction trajectories to achieve net zero by 2040. You can view the report here.

Here are some of our green accomplishments thus far:

  • 100% renewable electricity purchased at all Trust Tier 1 sites.
  • Quick win energy reduction schemes – surveys of properties owned by the Trust were carried out by specialist firm Inenco to identify “quick win” energy saving measures (insulation, LED lighting, boiler optimisation, heating controls). The first phase of these schemes have now been implemented with savings of circa 100 tCO2e per annum.  
  • Switch of Trust fleet lease and staff salary sacrifice vehicles to 100% electric
    • 1st November 2021 – from this date onwards all new lease vehicles must be electric or hybrid
    • 1st April 2022 – from this date onwards all new lease vehicles must be 100% electric
  • Trust switched to recycled paper
  • Vehicle leases and salary sacrifices are now 100% electric
  • New bins for dry mixed recycling were installed at thirty of our sites
  • Embedment of sustainability into Trust processes and policies such as financial planning, capital plans, travel expenses and HR. 
  • An active travel programme prepared for staff to loan either a Brompton bike or e-bike for a month

  • Electric vehicle charging point installation at ten sites owned by the Trust – installation is underway
  • Heat decarbonisation of 3 key sites (Parsons Green, Langley House and Potters Bar Hospital) - consultancy report is in progress with implementation planned for 2023-2025
  • Biodiversity and green space development review of properties owned by the Trust – assessment by a specialist consultancy in progress
  • Working group established to review of Metered Dose Inhalers prescribing trends
  • Cycling storage hubs installation ongoing in several locations
  • Improving our green spaces across sites for staff, patients and communities is underway

To meet sustainability standards, CLCH has established procurement procedures that encourage the use of sustainable suppliers.

NHSE have recently issued a letter detailing the national plan with timescales to drive sustainability through the supply chain. CLCH will align its procurement processes to this programme.

  • From April 2023, the NHS will adopt the Government’s ‘Taking Account of Carbon Reduction Plans’ (PPN 06/21), requiring all suppliers with new contracts Classification: Official Publication approval reference: PAR1010 2 for goods, services, and/or works with an anticipated contract value above £5 million per annum, to publish a carbon reduction plan for their direct emissions. From April 2024, the NHS will expand this requirement for all new contracts, irrespective of value.
  • From April 2027, all suppliers with contracts for goods, services, and/or works for any value, will be expected to publish a carbon reduction plan that takes into account the suppliers’ direct and indirect emissions.
  • From April 2028, new requirements will be introduced overseeing the provision of carbon foot-printing for individual products supplied to the NHS. The NHS will work with suppliers and regulators to determine the scope and methodology.
  • From 2030, suppliers will only be able to qualify for NHS contracts if they can demonstrate their progress through published progress reports and continued carbon emissions reporting through the supplier framework. A supplier framework for benchmarking and reporting progress against these requirements will be available in 2022. 

We are currently collaborating with our Integrated Care Systems (ICS) partners in four ICS geographies where CLCH provides services in order to maintain CLCH's commitment to providing the highest quality services to communities and patients while also advancing development toward a better health and social care system for the population. Initially the Trust is supporting the development of ICS Green Plans and the identification of projects that will be suitable for collaboration, for example clinical pathways, procurement and estates. 

The Trust has established a Green Champions Network with over 60 staff representatives, raising awareness of environmental issues who also provide visible leadership for green sustainability matters in the workplace. 

To implement best practices at our sites, the Green Champions have formed three new sub-groups to take targeted approaches to help us meet our Green plan objectives.

  • Sustainable food 
  • Plastics, Waste and recycling 
  • Transport and cycling

External resources:

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