Climate change poses a major threat to our health and our planet. Nationally, the Greener NHS ambition is to deliver the world’s first net zero health service and respond to climate change, improving health now and for future generations.

There is lots underway at our Trust to help reach this ambition which is already having an impact.

We must also think about the steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint as individuals. All actions add up – for example, saving one car journey a week of 16.7 miles (the average daily commute) saves the equivalent of 230kg of CO2 equivalent per person over a year.

Our senior leaders have been making their own Greener NHS pledges:

• Jacqui Smith, Chair: "I pledge to improve my home insulation so I can turn my heating down, use less meat and take the train. I'm also going to listen more to my children because they know more about how to tackle climate change and they will have to live with the consequences if we fail."
• Matthew Trainer, Chief Executive: “I pledge to reduce my use of polluting forms of travel as much as possible by driving less, taking the train more, and avoiding air travel – and of course by walking or cycling whenever I can.”
• Remi Odejinmi, Director for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: “I pledge to eat a more plant based diet and reduce our household use of plastics. To reduce my carbon footprint, I will walk or use public transport when I can instead of driving the car.”
• Ben Morrin, Deputy Chief Executive: “I pledge to double the number of journeys I make to our hospitals on a bike or by train.”
• Kathryn Halford, Chief Nurse: “I pledge to turn off the lights when I am not in the room, and to buy more locally sourced food.”
• Magda Smith, Chief Medical Officer: “I pledge to not take more than one return air travel trip every three years.”

Thanks to a range of initiatives including optimisation of the combined heat and power plant and LED lighting upgrades, we’ve saved enough carbon to heat 2,500 homes for a year. We’ve also re-launched our car sharing app. In January, we will be launching our Green Plan.