The UK government has set a target of achieving carbon net zero by 2050, with the National Health Service playing its part by striving to be the first national health service in the world to be net zero carbon by 2040.
The moves come as the climate emergency has the potential to become a health emergency. Changes to climate threaten the building blocks of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for patients, the public and the NHS. Recent data from the Met Office confirms that 2020 concluded the Earth’s warmest 10-year period on record; in 2019 almost 900 people died as a direct result of heatwaves in England alone.
The UK’s healthcare sector spends in excess of £400 million on energy every year - more efficient and effective energy solutions would provide better conditions for patients and staff whilst also saving both money and the environment. The NHS estate contains more than 30,000 properties across the UK, meaning it has a significant...