In 2021, NHS England provided guidance to support the NHS' net zero carbon emissions goals.
To achieve this, all 212 trusts and 42 ICBs in England were required to implement a green plan.
Each system’s green plan outlined how the Trusts and ICBs would reduce their emissions.
The ICBs will also support primary care providers to reduce their own emissions. Primary care organisations are not required to have their own green plans.
Now, after four years of world-leading progress, NHS South Yorkshire and all other systems and trusts are getting ready to refresh their green plans to ensure continued progress towards net zero.
Here at NHS South Yorkshire, we are engaging with our partner trusts, stakeholders and anchor institutions to refresh our green plan that will go on to cover 2025-2028.
The plan will encompass all the priority areas as set out in the green plan guidance around: reducing carbon emissions, resource efficiency, sustainable procurement and employee engagement, further reaffirming our commitment to tackling the climate crisis.
In 2020 the NHS became the first healthcare system in the world to commit to reaching net zero carbon emissions, through the Health and Care Act 2022. This places duties on NHS England, trusts, foundation trusts and ICBs to consider statutory emissions and environmental targets in their decisions.
This will bring direct benefits for public health, health equity and taxpayers, including through reducing air pollution, reducing energy costs and minimising waste.
Climate change presents an immediate and growing threat to health.
The UK is already experiencing more frequent and severe floods and heatwaves, as well as worsening air pollution. Up to 38,000 deaths per year are associated with air pollution alone, disproportionately affecting the most deprived and further exacerbating health inequalities.
The impact of climate change will also be expensive for society and the NHS, with the costs of heat-related mortalities from climate change estimated at £6.8 billion per year in the 2020s, rising to £14.7 billion per year in the 2050s.
As of 2022 the NHS contributed more than 40% of public sector emissions and 4% of total emissions in the UK. With this, the NHS can set the example for the rest of the UK on the importance of building a greener society by creating a greener NHS.