Publish date: 10 January 2024
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust launches action plan to tackle climate change
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has launched its new sustainability action plan to help tackle climate change and achieve net zero status by 2040.
The 2-year plan sets out the commitment of the trust to reaching net zero for its carbon emissions. The plan incorporates sustainability pledges on different areas of the trust including buildings & estates, travel, waste, healthcare, and people. Currently, the NHS contributes to around 4-5% of the UK’s total carbon emissions.
This work will support the NHS’ ambitious goal to become net zero by 2040, and from this, the trust has produced carbon emission targets which are:
- Net zero by 2040 for the carbon emissions that they control. Including reducing fossil fuel use, using green electricity and producing less waste.
- Net zero by 2045 for the carbon emissions that they can influence. This includes encouraging environmentally friendly commuting for staff and buying medicines and equipment from suppliers who are working to reduce their carbon footprint.
Clare Winter, head of sustainability at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have launched our new Net Zero Northumbria action plan. Our key action areas support our target to be net zero by 2040.
“Recent projects such as the major decarbonisation work at North Tyneside General Hospital shows how heavily we invest in our estates to make them as sustainable as possible. However, we understand that we can do more which is why our plan outlines the actions we will take on our other key areas.”
Clare added: “As a trust, we are very much aware of the impact we have on our environment, and we are committed to incorporating these pledges into our core business activity to work towards a net zero Northumbria Healthcare.”
This work also aligns with the trust’s Community Promise which is a pledge to focus on all the ways the trust can improve people’s lives, pushing the boundaries of what an NHS trust can be by looking at how they can have a larger impact on everyone who lives and works in the area and wider region.
The Community Promise includes 5 key pillars which are: action on education, action on employment, action on economy, action on environment and action on inequalities.
Wayne Daley, head of corporate and social responsibility at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Sustainability is a key focus of our Community Promise and we’re thrilled to be part of this new action plan.
“The commitments made in the new action plan will not only benefit the trust but also staff, patients and our communities.”
The Northumbria Net Zero action plan was launched at the beginning of 2024 and includes pledges to increase the use of reusable clinical products and to increase awareness of waste management across the organisation.
Find out more about the Net Zero Northumbria action plan here
Media contact
Emily Lavin, marketing and communications officer
emily.lavin@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk or 07887985929