Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing our planet today, with rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation threatening ecosystems and communities across the globe. In response, the NHS is taking a leading role in combating climate change.
You may have read Claire Oatway’s article in PCC Insight from June 2024, which highlighted the NHS’ ambitious targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions:
- Achieving Net Zero by 2040 for emissions directly controlled by the NHS.
- Achieving Net Zero by 2045 for emissions the NHS can influence.
These goals are aligned with the UK’s overall climate commitments, including a national target of Net Zero by 2050. The Health and Care Act 2022 makes the NHS’ commitment to reducing emissions a legal requirement. This means NHS England, trusts, and integrated care boards (ICBs) must work together to meet national emissions targets. This legislation brings the NHS one step closer to becoming the world’s first net zero national health system.
NHS organisations are required to update their green plans by no later than 31 July 2025. Green plans should set out the key actions each system and trust will take to deliver emissions reductions and support resilience to climate impact over the next three years, focusing on the following key areas:
- Workforce and leadership
- Clinical transformation
- Digital transformation
- Medicines
- Travel and transport
- Estates and facilities
- Supply chain and procurement
- Food and nutrition and
- Adaption
The NHS, like the global healthcare sector, has a significant environmental impact, contributing over 4% of the UK’s total CO₂ emissions, with 25 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emitted in 2019 – a figure comparable to the entire national emissions of Sri Lanka.
A recent survey by the NHS Confederation highlighted several key challenges in implementing sustainability initiatives within healthcare. It found that lack of fundingandresources, limited awareness among staff about the environmental impact of healthcare practices, and difficulties in measuring progress towards sustainability goals are major barriers.
One particularly pressing issue is that clinicians often lack the necessary information to advise patients on environmentally friendly medication options. As one expert pointed out, “I don’t think clinicians are really armed with that information.” This knowledge gap further complicates efforts to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare, making it difficult for healthcare professionals to offer informed guidance on more sustainable medication choices.
Together, these challenges underscore the need for increased awareness, betterresource allocation, and improved tools for clinicians to support sustainable practices in healthcare.
Despite these challenges, positive change is possible. Healthcare emissions largely stem from delivery processes, particularly the use of anaesthetic gases. University Hospitals Bristol has demonstrated a successful approach by reducing its carbon footprint through switching from the emission-intensive desflurane to lower-carbon anaesthetics like sevoflurane.
This shift was driven by two sustainability-minded anaesthetists, Mat Molyneux and John Hickman, who led staff engagement efforts. They used informative prompt cards and QR codes to highlight the environmental and financial implications of anaesthetic choices. This initiative has resulted in a significant reduction of 30,000 kg of CO₂ equivalent.
To further support such initiatives and address broader sustainability challenges in healthcare—including limited resources, staff awareness, and measurement difficulties—the Green Impact for Health Toolkit provides practical support for NHS staff, particularly at GP practices. This toolkit empowers healthcare professionals to take actionable steps towards sustainability and offers a structured framework for continuous improvement.
At the heart of this toolkit is Green Impact, a United Nations award-winning programme focused on motivating and empowering employees and volunteers to work towards sharedsustainability goals. Green Impact provides bespoke online toolkits and tailored support to help organisations:
- Visualise their sustainability journey
- Engage employees and build networks of sustainability champions
- Establish a structured framework for continuous improvement
- Encourage collaboration and team building
- Facilitate knowledge and skill development
Within healthcare, Green Impact supports providers with impactful sustainability actions, aligning with Green Plans, NHS Net Zero targets, and Care Quality Commission (CQC) compliance. Special modules have been developed for NHS Trusts, the Royal College of GPs, dentists, and healthcare students, ensuring resources are tailored to specific roles and needs. By engaging staff across all roles and providing simple, effective, andaccessible resources, Green Impact encourages connections among professionals on similar sustainability journeys and helps build a sustainable, net zero system. Collaborations with NHS Trusts across the UK have resulted in bespoke toolkits that engage diverse teams, including clinical, research, administrative staff, andvolunteers. This collaboration even extends to training local university students as auditors, fostering a valuable connection between health and educational communities. This framework helps address the knowledge gap highlighted earlier, empowering healthcare professionals to make informed decisions and contribute to a greener NHS.
Reshift’s complimentary carbon footprint software supports NHS practices in calculating, tracking, and identifying emission hotspots, crucial for effective carbon footprint reductions.
Working with PCC, Reshift will be delivering a two-hour online workshop in the autumn 2025 which will introduce the green agenda and provide practical advice and support for general practice in working towards the 2040 ambition.
The agenda will cover:
- Background and context – net zero by 2040
- Steps to decarbonise
- Reducing the carbon footprint of general practice
- Developing a green plan
- Actions and next steps
The NHS’ journey to net zero may be challenging, but it is a necessary and urgent undertaking. By taking the right step today, we can reduce the NHS’ carbon footprint and create a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come.
Reshift helps businesses turn their Sustainability ambitions into actions. Through practical workshops, tailored ESG programs, and digital dashboards, they support teams in building capacity, meeting stakeholder expectations, and driving real-world sustainability outcomes.
