Working towards a carbon neutral NHS Trust
Ian, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust's (RDaSH) Environmental and Waste Manager said: "This month's Carbon Literacy Action Day saw local leaders and organisations meeting to put climate change under the spotlight and make pledges to help reduce global warming. The clock is ticking, we need to take action now.
“On a personal level, I made a commitment to turn my home thermostat down by two degrees, shaving a good chunk off my family’s annual heating bill and significantly reducing my own carbon footprint by up to two tonnes per year”
At work, Ian and colleagues are busy examining how to make significant energy efficiency savings across RDaSH, as part of a pioneering Sustainable Green Plan currently being finalised. The Plan is being managed by a new Net Zero Carbon Group, which meets bi-monthly and comprises representatives from across the Trust.
Ian said: “Trusts like ours are mandated to be carbon neutral by 2040, which seems a long way off but we have a lot to do by then. The recent rise in energy costs has reinforced the need to reduce our carbon footprint and be more energy efficient. This year the Trust’s energy bill is £1.75 million, but potentially set to increase to £4.2 million a year by 2024.
There are 10 modules to the Green Plan – including travel and logistics, capital projects and use of resources – each of which has its own action points, with nominated individuals set to oversee their implementation.
A key element will be communicating the vision and objectives, helping employees and everyone with a connection to the Trust understand the importance of working towards becoming carbon neutral.
Initiatives under consideration include reducing the impact of commuting by car and introducing active travel options, including cycling and walking for staff and visitors, together with a transition to leased electric vehicles, supported by additional charging points across the Trust being rolled out in the coming months.
There will also be renewed focus on ‘recycling or reusing’ - since 2021 RDaSH has sent zero waste to landfill - amongst over 100 planned interventions set out in the Green Plan, all designed to reduce carbon, waste or air pollution.
