Reducing our impact on the environment

About us

• About us
• Who we are
  • Our organisation
  • Board of Directors
  • Non executive directors
  • Council of Governors
  • Facts and figures
  • King's Health Partners
  • Who we work with
• How we are doing
  • Overview
  • Facts and figures
  • Equality and diversity
    • Embracing equality and diversity
    • Setting our objectives
    • Reports
  • Our CARE awards
• Our plans
  • Developing our hospitals
  • Trust objectives 2013-14
  • Improvements already made
  • What's in the pipeline
  • Developing our services
• Part of the community
  • Overview
  • Reducing our impact on the environment
  • Local employment
  • International healthcare programmes
  • Local procurement
• Publications
  • Annual reports and statutory publications
  • Publications
  • The GiST magazine
  • Freedom of Information
    • Freedom of Information (FoI) Act
    • Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
    • Submit an FoI request
  • Board papers
    • 2013 Board of Directors' papers
    • 2012 Board of Directors' papers
    • 2011 Board of Directors' papers
  • The medicines formulary
• Our history
  • Overview
  • Research on our recent history
  • Experts through the ages
  • Famous firsts
  • Art in the hospitals

Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband, visits our combined heat and power plant.

What we are doing

As the largest public sector contributor of carbon emissions, the NHS has committed to achieve the following carbon reduction targets:

• 10% by 2015
• 34% by 2020
• at least 80% by 2050

We embrace our responsibility to lead the way in the NHS and London. We met and exceeded the 2015 target in 2010 and are aiming to exceed future targets, sharing best practice with other NHS trusts.

• Our achievements

  Building Better Healthcare Awards

  We received the award for best carbon reduction strategy in acute care in 2010. And in 2013, we refreshed our strategy, making it even more ambitious and practical.

  Guardian Sustainable Business Awards

  We were shortlisted for the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards for our efforts to encourage healthy and sustainable lifestyle choices for our 13,000 staff.  We were the only NHS organisation to be recognised by the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards this year.

  Recycled office stationery

  In 2011 we chose to purchase only 100% recycled office paper. This avoids cutting down nearly 15,000 trees and saves us nearly £50,000 each year.

• Energy campaigns

  Producing our own energy

  We have combined heat and power (CHP) engines which generate electricity and heat at both hospitals. Installed in 2009, the units were funded by the Department of Health's energy and sustainability fund.

  Overall, each year the units:

  • produce enough electricity to meet half of our energy needs
  • reduce the CO2 emissions we produce by over 11,000 tonnes
  • save us nearly £2 million in energy costs

  In 2012 and 2013, we worked with the Carbon Trust to develop a plan to further reduce the energy consumption of our hospitals, and have recently embarked on a programme of water savings, which we anticipate will deliver further water savings of up to 20 per cent.

  Read our case study from the Carbon Trust| (PDF 452Kb).

  Mayor's award for improving cycle safety and security

  In March 2013, we received an award for achieving stage 3 of the Mayor of London’s NHS Cycling Strategy.

  This reflects our commitment to encouraging safe cycling and active travel. We run a cycle to work scheme, helping eligible staff to buy a bike tax free and offer support to those thinking about taking up cycling to work and for pleasure.

  Our bicycle users’ group supports current and prospective bike users and creates a forum for sharing information. With the sustainability team, the group has:

  • arranged cycle safety awareness events where staff can sit in the driver's seat of a heavy goods vehicle to understand limited vision on the road
  • offered free 'how to' cycle maintenance courses for staff, as well as 'Dr Bike' sessions
  • provided free cycle registration events to improve the tracking of bikes
  • hosted 'Try a bike' events to encourage people to cycle
  • helped improve secure parking and shower facilities for staff cycling to work
  • produced a cycling manifesto for King's Health Partners.

  Raising awareness - our Earthcare and Energy campaign

  We have over 130 local staff environment representatives, helping to save energy and resources. This ranges from making suggestions about more sustainable ways of working, to reminding colleagues to switch equipment off when it's not in use.

• Sharing knowledge across the NHS

  We work closely with other NHS trusts and large organisations to address the challenges of climate change and pressures on environmental resources. Our sustainability manager serves as vice chair of the London NHS Carbon Reduction Leads Network. We also work alongside the NHS Sustainable Development Unit to develop new tools.

  How our sustainability programme is progressing: watch the film

  Our sustainability manager Alexandra Hammond spoke about how our sustainability programme is progressing at a sustainable business event in London in January 2013. Watch the film below.

• How we work with the local community

  As the largest employer in South London, we take our role in the community very seriously. We have developed apprenticeship programmes to encourage local people into paid employment, support local businesses and host a variety of development programmes for the long-term unemployed.

Did you know?

Each year, our combined heat and power machines reduce the C0₂ emissions we produce by over 11,000 tonnes.

Find out more

For more information about our work to reduce our impact on the environment, contact Alexandra Hammond|.