Our Green Plan

Our Green Plan is our commitment to reduce our impact on the environment, deliver lower carbon, more sustainable care and meet the NHS net zero carbon emissions target by 2040.

The climate crisis is a health emergency that negatively impacts mental health and wellbeing. Healthcare is a major contributor to climate change because of its significant carbon footprint.

Working within the Care Without Carbon framework, our Green Plan sets out our aims, principles and targeted actions to reach the net zero target, integrate sustainability values into our core business and ensure that the high quality care we provide today is available tomorrow.

The key aims of our Green Plan

  1. Reduce environmental impact: deliver care that is Net Zero Carbon, minimising our impact on the environment and respecting natural resources.
  2. Improve wellbeing: support the health and wellbeing of our patients, staff and communities.
  3. Invest in the future: obtain best value from our financial and other resources through forward thinking and sustainable decision making.

The NHS has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040 for the emissions it controls directly and by 2045 for the emissions it influences. Our vision through Care Without Carbon is to motivate and empower staff to take action for a greener NHS, to protect the environment on which our health depends and to lead the way in Net Zero Carbon healthcare.

If we can deliver care in a more sustainable way, and support our staff, patients, carers and communities to live more sustainable lifestyles, we can enable better health outcomes for our community and limit damage to our changing climate.