Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) has released a ‘Green Plan’ to help it reach NHS ‘net zero’ targets.
Sub-titled ‘Caring Today and Tomorrow; Carbon-free’, the publication was launched earlier this week, on 18 January.
The 34-page document features ’10 key pledges’ that show how the trust plans to cut carbon emissions and engage staff.
This includes a target to have as many of its properties as possible supplied with renewable energy by July 2022, as well as a goal to fully decarbonise ‘at least one site’ by December 2023.
CNWL also aims to have two-thirds, or 65 per cent, of its fleet as either electric or hybrid by July 2026, and is creating a ‘Trustwide Staff Green Interest Group’ to monitor the progress of the pledges.
The trust’s Chief Executive, Claire Murdoch CBE, said: “CNWL’s Green Plan embodies the importance with which we approach the climate and health emergency.
“As a large employer with a large carbon footprint, it is important we do all we can to reduce our impact on the environment and to mitigate for the worst of the effects we will face through climate change.
“We have made significant progress in many areas, but we need to do much more. This plan will help us to deliver high quality, sustainable healthcare for our patients and our communities now, and for future generations.”
Hannah Witty, Chief Financial Officer and the trust’s Green Lead, added: “I am delighted the CNWL Green Plan has been received so well across the trust and am personally committed to making sure that CNWL continues to reduce its impact on the environment.
“We must not forget that a poor environment contributes to major diseases – like asthma. We’re accelerating our effort, around energy consumption, procurement and travel to meet NHS carbon reduction targets and broader sustainability.”
Other ‘pledges’ contained in the Green Plan include to: eliminate unnecessary single use plastic from catering and hospitality services by December 2023; ask suppliers with new contracts worth £5 million or more to publish a carbon reduction plan for their direct emissions by April 2023; and to review recruitment materials and CNWL’s induction programme and ensure they ‘explicitly outline the importance of sustainability and the environment’ by May 2022.
CNWL’s Green Plan is now available to read, in full, online.
