18 January 2022

Today CNWL is today unveiling its Green Plan that shows how we will meet the NHS wide pledge to be the world’s first net zero national health service.

Our vision is Caring Today and Tomorrow; Carbon-free.

You can read our plan by clicking here.

Our Green Plan features 10 key pledges that outline how we will continue to cut the amount of carbon we produce across all parts of the Trust and how we intend to bring staff along with us.

The pledges include having as many of our properties as possible supplied by renewable energy only by July this year, full decarbonisation of at least one site by December next year and in making sure that two-thirds of our fleet are either electric or hybrid by July 2026.

We also intend on setting up a Trustwide Staff Green Interest Group who will help us in making sure we are meeting our pledges.

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.”

Our plan acts to:

•             Set out our green ambitions and the enablers to achieve these

•             Publicly set our commitment to sustainable development

•             Show how we will meet our legislative requirements

•             Demonstrate how we will evaluate our impact

•             Set out how we will monitor and assure against delivery of this strategy

It is based on the NHSE report Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service, which sets a clear ambition and target for the NHS.

Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service makes clear the linkage between the pandemic and the environment and reinforces the need to minimise our impact on the environment and be prepared for climate change.

Chief Financial Officer Hannah Witty is the Trust’s Green Lead and has overseen the plan’s development.

She said: “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.”

Over the last six years we have:

  • Converted some of our sites lighting to LED, saving 58 tonnes of Co2e per year.
  • Generated electricity from 260kWp of solar PV across the Trust, reducing carbon from grid electricity by 61 tonnes a year.
  • Made sure that all QTS/CNWL managed waste services are 100% zero to landfill meaning we are well ahead of the national targets
  • Introduced virtual meetings
  • Provided healthcare communications to patients electronically where consent is granted