NHS Property Services has launched its new Green Plan, a comprehensive three-year strategy which it says is aimed at reducing the environmental impact of NHS facilities, and ‘progressing towards a Net Zero carbon future’ by 2040.
Since the launch of its last Green Plan in 2022, NHSPS has made significant strides in sustainability, including:
- A 48% reduction in carbon emissions since the 2017/18 baseline.
- £47.8 million saved on energy and utilities since 2022/23.
- Completion of 960 sustainability-related projects, including LED lighting upgrades, BMS optimisation, and solar PV installations.
- Flood risk assessments at 16 high-risk climate adaptation pilot sites.
- Reduction of customer carbon emissions through the NHSE clinical waste strategy.
The new Green Plan focuses on four key areas: Energy, Utilities and Data, Environment, and Waste. Each has specific goals, steps, and measures, to ensure progress, as follows:
- Energy: the goal is to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2040. To measure progress, the key performance indicator (KPI) is to complete 90 decarbonisation projects over the next three years. This strategy focuses on reducing emissions at the top 100 emitting sites, supporting zero emissions transport, and enhancing energy efficiency. NHSPS says this commitment is demonstrated through initiatives such as piloting a toolkit with GPs to save energy in their practices.
- Utilities and data: the goal is to help NHSPS colleagues and customers use data to reduce utilities costs, carbon emissions, and environmental impact. The KPI is to double the amount of data accessible to customers – by improving carbon reporting, enhancing data-sharing, and providing analysis to help stakeholders reduce their environmental impact.
- Environment: the goal is to continuously improve the organisation ‘s environmental impact and meet compliance obligations, with a KPI of completing audits at 132 higher-risk sites. This will involve ‘embedding processes to improve climate resilience, boost biodiversity, and develop sustainable travel and buying strategies’.
- Waste: with a goal of reaching the NHS England waste segregation target of 20% incineration, 20% infectious waste, and 60% offensive waste. The KPI here will be to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from waste management by 2026 – via measures including aligning services with the NHS clinical waste strategy, implementing correct waste streams, and increasing waste segregation to reduce costs and lower carbon emissions.
Cameron Hawkins, head of Energy and Environment at NHSPS (pictured), said: “We are really proud of what the previous Green Plan delivered. We are now even more ambitious to contribute towards a Net Zero NHS with a smarter, greener, and more efficient estate.”
For more information, visit www.property.nhs.uk/greenplan
