Green Plan and Decarbonisation Strategy
Our Route to Becoming a Greener Trust
Our vision is to become one of the greenest NHS Trust’s in the UK. Since 2014 we have reduced our carbon emissions by 33% and we are working hard to ensure we meet the NHS 2040 net zero target.
The latest version of our Green Plan details our sustainability strategy, targets and objectives for the next three years, to 2025. This is supported by the Estates Decarbonisation Strategy “A Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon”, which outlines how we will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and increase the use of low-carbon energy.
Green Plan
Our Green Plan is the central document for the Trust’s sustainability agenda including our objectives and how they will be met.
The key focus areas are:
- Embedding sustainability across the Trust
- Making our buildings more energy efficient
- Promoting active travel such as cycling, lift sharing and public transport
- Innovative approaches to care
- Sustainable medicines
- Reducing plastic use
- Waste management
- Sustainable catering
- Improving biodiversity and green spaces across our sites
Key achievements to date
- 33% reduction in carbon emissions since baseline year 2013
- Invested over £20 million in energy saving projects
- First Carbon Literate NHS Hospital Trust
- Reduced the carbon emissions of anaesthetic gas
- Upgraded shuttle buses to low/ultra low emission
- Moved to a digital online patient record system
- Introduced Attend Anywhere software for remote appointments
- We convert all general waste into energy and no waste is sent to landfill
- Our Green Team won the HEFMA Team of the Year
Estates Decarbonisation Strategy
We have a complex estate portfolio covering 500,000 square metres, with buildings varying in age, heritage, condition and suitability for clinical delivery. With an estate of such size, energy demands and the fabric of our buildings accounts for a significant proportion of our carbon emissions. To address this, we have produced the Estates Decarbonisation Strategy “A Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon”, and each of our five hospital sites now has a roadmap detailing what interventions are needed to become carbon neutral.
Some of this work is already taking place, and includes:
- Installing air source heat pumps, which will reduce the consumption of natural gas
- Installing photovoltaics (PV) for electrical generation
- Energy efficient LED lighting
- Replacing single glazed windows with low U value double glazing to reduce building fabric heat loss
- Installing draft proofing
- Repairing roofs and installing flat roof insulation
- Upgrading Building Management System software so we can control and monitor energy usage
Another key initiative is connecting Trust buildings to the local district heat network. The Leeds PIPES heating network uses heat and energy recovered from the incineration of non-recyclable waste from households and businesses across the city, including the Trust, to provide a low-carbon alternative to the traditional burning of fossil fuels for hot water heating.
