Sustainability
Working to reduce our carbon footprint
We are committed to sustainability and carbon reduction, aiming to decrease our hospital’s impact on the environment while providing excellent patient care and working environments.
Each year, we support NHS Sustainability Day. We work with patients, visitors, and the local community to develop our sustainability goals and keep environmental responsibility at the forefront of what we do.
Our sustainability objectives are to:
- sustain the culture change, impact and savings we have already made
- support leadership on sustainability amongst our clinical and non-clinical areas and our stakeholders
- integrate sustainability into how we operate and look after our hospitals
Our Green Plan
Our Green Plan sets out how we will contribute the Greener NHS ambition to become the world’s first net-zero health service. Being more sustainable and reducing our carbon footprint is a priority for us, and we can’t wait to do more.
Our sustainability target areas
Our sustainability target areas include:
- energy and carbon reduction in our buildings
- reducing waste
- higher rates of recycling by patients, visitors and staff
- water conservation
- sustainable travel
- programmes that support behaviour and culture change
Our key performance indicators
- Live energy display for our Trusts main buildings where our energy consumption can be viewed at any time and from anywhere
- On track to achieve up to 2% carbon savings year-on-year
- Integrate Let our Buildings Sleep initiatives into buildings operations as part of Bank Holidays, Christmas and New Year switch-off plans
- Improved waste segregation facilities
- Recorded reduction in high-cost clinical waste
- Increase in recycling rates
- Food recycling facilities in all relevant areas
- Every year themed campaigns on energy savings, waste and recycling, and sustainable travel
- Live bus information screens in the atria of both hospitals to encourage use of public transport
- A 20% increase in secured cycle capacity since 2013/14
- Pro-active awareness and campaigns focusing on healthy modes of travel by our Health and Wellbeing team
- Cycle to Work and Liftshare Schemes for staff are in place
- Sustainability and Waste Management is now a mandatory course available as e-learning.
Recognition and awards
- Best Carbon Reduction Initiative, NHS Sustainability Award 2013
- Best Overall Initiative, NHS Sustainability Award 2013
- Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice 2015
- Green Essex Award – Winner, Greenest Large Business 2015
- Public Sector Sustainability Award – Winner, Most Sustainable Public Sector Organisation in NHS 2015
- Essex Countywide Business Awards, Environmental Awards, Winner 2018
- Sustainable Health and Care Awards – Winner, Sustainable excellence- corporate approach 2018
- Sustainable Health and Care Awards – Winner, Carbon reduction 2018
Our thanks
We engage and work with a wide range of internal (clinical and non-clinical teams) and external stakeholders (patients, visitors, facilities contractors). This includes the London Boroughs of Havering, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham, TFL, and ecoDriver company. This engagement is key to our success and to continually achieve our objectives.
We thank all of our partners for their continued support and we look forward to retaining this support for future challenges. Our thanks also extend to our patients and the public for using our sustainability initiative facilities.