Facilities management
Ensuring new hospital buildings are net zero compatible Delivering a net zero health service will require work to ensure new hospitals and buildings are net zero compatible, as well as improvements to the existing estate In November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his ten point plan for a green industrial revolution which he hopes will create and support up to 250,000 British jobs. Covering clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the government says that the Prime Minister’s blueprint will allow the UK to forge ahead with eradicating its contribution to climate change by 2050, particularly crucial in the run up to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow next year. One of the ten points is the improvement of homes and public buildings, including hospitals, greener, warmer and more energy efficient. This is predominantly to be done via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, part of the Chancellor’s ‘Plan for Jobs 2020’ commitment to support the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus, which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures. It will also depend a lot on the success of the Greener NHS programme, which pledged in 2020 to work with NHS staff, hospitals and partners to build on the great work being done by trusts across the country,
Over the last 10 years, the NHS has become a world leader in the response to climate change, taking action to cut carbon emissions while building capacity and resilience into the way sharing ideas on how to reduce the impact that healthcare is provided. on public health and the environment, At the national level, the NHS will save money and reach net carbon zero. monitor and report on its emissions Sir Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive, reductions in-line with the timeline, said at its launch: “While the NHS is methods and approach laid out by the already a world leader in sustainability, as UK Committee on Climate Change. the biggest employer in this country and The Delivering a Net Zero NHS report comprising nearly a tenth of the UK demonstrated that the NHS has both economy, we’re both part met and exceeded the 2020 targets of the problem and part outlined in the Climate Change of the solution. Act. However, meeting the NHS A new “Indeed if health England net zero ambitions N Zero Ca et services across the will only be possible if Hospita rbon world were their every part of the NHS own country, is working together. will be l Standard availab they’d be the le from spring 2 fifth-largest Targets 0 2 1 a , and pplied a emitter on the Identifying a route to cr planet. That’s why net zero emissions for a new hooss the 40 complex we are mobilising system as large spitals our 1.3 million as the NHS is particularly staff to take action challenging. To understand how for a greener NHS, and when the NHS can reach net and it’s why we have zero, NHS England established an NHS worked with the world’s leading Net Zero Expert Panel, reviewed nearly 600 experts to help set a practical, evidencepieces of evidence and conducted extensive based and ambitious route map and analysis and modelling. The organisation date for the NHS to reach net zero.” claims that the targets set are as E Issue 21.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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