CLCH Sustainability team champions net zero at Health Industry Leaders event

At the recent Health Industry Leaders: Health 100 – decarbonising the NHS event, Tom Wright, Director of Sustainability and Lucas Rodriguez, Sustainability Manager shared their experience of working towards net zero.

Their compelling presentation, "Working in partnership to achieve net zero goals", focused on the practical steps being taken to reduce carbon emissions in community healthcare. They discussed the importance of collaboration across NHS organisations and with external partners to deliver meaningful change. As an example, they highlighted the strategic partnership for sustainability that has been developed between CLCH and West London NHS Trusts.

With the NHS responsible for around 5% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, the challenge of becoming a net zero health system is significant. Tom and Lucas highlighted some of the key areas CLCH is focusing on, including reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, and supporting greener travel options for staff.

The event brought together 15 expert speakers and over 180 attendees to discuss how the NHS can accelerate its progress towards sustainability. Tom and Lucas’s session was an opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far, share ideas, and explore what more can be done to reduce the NHS’s environmental impact.

Their message was clear: achieving net zero will require continued focus, collaboration, and innovation, but positive steps are already being made to create a more sustainable NHS for the future.