Green Plan
About our Green Plan
The climate emergency is a health emergency. Climate change threatens the foundations of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the NHS.
As the biggest employer in this country, there is more that the NHS, working together with its partners can do. The NHS makes up approximately 5% of the UK’s carbon footprint and is striving to be the first national health service to achieve net zero carbon by 2040.
In order to support the NHS net zero ambition, we have developed a strategy for how we will reduce carbon emissions across north east London as an Integrated Care System (ICS), working in collaboration with our partners. It includes four core carbon reduction targets in order to achieve net zero. Our first target is an 80% carbon reduction by 2028.
Responding effectively and with urgency to the climate emergency is an opportunity for us to contribute to our NHS Long-Term Plan and its wider aim of improving health and wellbeing. Carbon is embedded into every decision we make, from the medicines we prescribe to our transport operations, the energy that powers buildings and our significant supply chains that stretch around the globe.
Some of the ways we are currently delivering health and care services in north east London cause a negative impact on the environment and our health and wellbeing. The more we reduce our environmental footprint, the more we positively impact on health and wellbeing in north east London.
Key workstreams
Since early 2020 we have been investing in collaborative action on climate change. We developed a climate action network as one of four pillars of our NEL Anchor programme, working with staff on the green agenda to shape the action we take.
Our end goal is that climate action becomes business as usual, and to do this, we are working on a number of workstreams as listed below to help us with becoming a greener NHS.
We work together to share innovation, build green skills and embed sustainability in strategic commissioning.
We encourage clinicians to make use of the service specific toolkits that are available to reduce the impact of services.
We have the necessary forums and stakeholder relationships to oversee the journey to net zero. Business decisions and corporate policy include a commitment to sustainable healthcare.
Good practice in pharmacy and medicines optimisation already contributes to a greener NHS. For example, optimising prescribing, structured medication reviews, waste reduction, and promoting healthy living. Continuing work in this area is vital in reducing NHS emissions.
Through the NEL infrastructure strategy we will decarbonise our estates, reduce waste via a collaborative approach.
We will use technology to reduce health inequalities, reduce the cost outpatient appointments and make informed decisions about the carbon cost of care.
We will use a population health approach to adaptation utilising a case finding approach to protect our most vulnerable communities.
The commitments made at tender stage on social value and carbon reductions will be translated into contracts and the impact monitored.
We encourage the use of active travel. Working with regional partners to improve the experience of walking, wheeling and cycling to keep people moving.
The system will promote plant-packed, nutritious, low emission and thoughtfully sourced food. Including nutrition in shared decisions to reduce long term conditions.
Connecting ill-health prevention with personalised care and nature-based interventions, increases biodiversity and climate resilience while reducing pressure on the NHS.
Taking a population health approach to case finding to protect vulnerable communities from indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Green Plans from our partners
Each NHS Trust and Local Authority in north east London also has their own Green Plan setting out their commitments to reducing carbon emissions.
All the NHS Green Plans across north east London are listed below:
- Barts Health Green Plan, 2025 – 28
- East London Foundation Trust, 2025 – 28
- BHRUT Green Plan, 2025 – 28
- Homerton Green Plan, 2025 – 28
- NELFT Green Plan, 2025 -28
- London Ambulance Service Carbon Neutral Plan April 2022 – March 2025
- NHS Property environmental commitments
- Barts Green Plan, January 2022
- BHRUT Green Plan, January 2022
- ELFT Green Plan, January 2022
- Homerton Green Plan, January 2022
- NELFT Green Plan, January 2022
All of the local authorities in north east London are committed to tackling climate change and you can read their plans here:
Downloads
System green plan 2025-2028
The NHS NEL System Green Plan is a national requirement from NHS as per the NHS Net Zero Strategy and Health and Care Act 2022. It outlines how the system will collectively transformation operations and culture to lower impact on the environment and protect the community from the effects of climate change.
Download
Green plan 2022-2025 progress report
The progress report sets out how we have done in regards to the 2022-2025 Green Plan.
Download
Green plan 2022-2025
The NEL ICS Green Plan is a national requirement from NHS as per the NHS Net Zero Strategy and delivers on the Long Term Plan. It includes four core carbon reduction targets to reach net zero.
Download
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