Greener NHS

CWP’s Green Plan aims to support the wider NHS goal of becoming the first health service in the world with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

In support, the Trust has launched its first ever Green Network to bring together staff members who share a passion for protecting the environment.

There are nine key ‘areas of focus’ described in the Trust’s Green Plan. Each area has an operational lead and monitor its delivery to meet the national targets:

• The NHS Carbon Footprint (the emissions we control directly) to reach net zero by 2040

• The NHS Carbon Footprint Plus (emissions we can influence) to reach net zero by 2045

Actions to combat climate change, done in the right way, has the potential to improve health and health equity and this is a fundamental focus of the delivery of the Green Plan.

There are lots of green achievements and initiatives already underway at CWP including:

• net zero e-learning for all staff available via the intranet Virtual Academy

• all NHS procurements now include a minimum 10% net zero and social value weighting and for all contracts above £5 million per year

• proposal for the implementation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support hybrid and e-vehicles across Trust sites

• A staff travel survey is underway to learn how staff currently travel to and from work, team preferences and identify what the trust can do to help make this more sustainable.

Small things everyone can do to reduce your carbon footprint:

Reduce: You don’t have to be vegan, and you don’t have to give up your car or holidays, but eating less dairy and meat, driving less and flying less are some of the most important things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

Reuse: Thinking about how we can safely reuse and repurpose everyday items.

Recycle: Most people already recycle. Now the challenge is to recycle more and make best use of the recycling facilities available.

For more information, visit: www.cwp.nhs.uk