Guidance for NHS trusts and foundation trusts: assessing the well-led key question
Environmental sustainability
We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment and we strive to make a positive contribution in reducing it and support people to do the same.
What does good look like:
The trust’s leaders demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability. The trust has appropriate governance and support from leaders, with a board member who is responsible for approving and delivering their net zero targets and Green Plan. These targets are also represented in the Integrated Care Board Green Plan.
The trust can demonstrate that it has taken all reasonable steps to minimise the adverse impact of climate change on health. It does this through processes and interventions to simultaneously improve patient care and reduce carbon emissions and environmental harm, while tracking their progress. The trust communicates these actions to its workforce, patients and partners in the system.
The trust makes its workforce aware of their individual carbon footprint in the context of their role and enables and supports them to reduce this.
Further detail and context:
Net zero legislation
The NHS became the first health system to embed net zero through legislation. The Health and Care Act 2022 places duties on NHS England, and all NHS trusts, foundation trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs), to have regard to the need to contribute to compliance with the statutory emissions and environmental targets. It also requires them to have regard to the need to adapt to any current or predicted impacts of climate change identified under the most recent report under section 56 of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Duties for trusts
Trusts and ICBs meet this new duty through the delivery of their localised Green Plans. Every trust and ICB in the country now has a board-level lead for net zero and sustainability. Statutory guidance, including The Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, and the Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, help to deliver these duties.
Ensuring governance and proactive support from leaders is important to ensure net zero targets are tailored to the trust’s specific circumstances and delivered collectively. There is a requirement for the trust’s Green Plan to be approved by its board and developed every 3 to 5 years. Appropriate oversight and responsibility of the Green Plan is also important, to track and measure progress against net zero targets.
Best practice / guidance
NHS England - Greener NHS:
How to produce a green plan: A three-year strategy towards net zero
NHS England: Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ NHS
NHS England: NHS Net Zero Building Standard
NHS England: Net Zero Supplier Roadmap
NHS England: Carbon reduction plan requirements for the procurement of NHS goods, services and works
NHS England Carbon Literacy for healthcare - elearning for healthcare (e-lfh.org.uk)
National environment policies:
Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals to Transform Our World
DEFRA: Environmental Principles Policy Statement