Carbon Trust helping 48 NHS Trusts cut carbon and save cash

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01 May 2008
Eighteen more NHS Trusts set to reduce carbon footprint by joining Carbon Trust programme


Eighteen more NHS Trusts from across England and Scotland are set to cut their collective carbon footprints by 60,000 tonnes and energy costs by £7 million per year by joining phase three of the Carbon Trust’s NHS Carbon Management (NHS CM) programme, which launches today. 

The Carbon Trust is now working with 48 of the UK’s NHS Trusts to identify and implement carbon saving opportunities. The NHS CM programme enables Trusts to assess the risks and opportunities posed by climate change and develop a robust strategy which will help them drastically reduce their carbon emissions over a five to ten year period. The Trusts will also benefit from significant cost savings as their energy bills could fall by around 20 per cent.

During the first two phases of the NHS CM programme, which launched in October 2006, the Carbon Trust worked with 30 NHS Trusts, identifying annual savings of more than £14 million and 125,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide across all sites involved.

Tom Cumberlege, Public Sector Manager at the Carbon Trust, said,
“The financial and environmental incentives to cut carbon are clear. The NHS in England currently emits approximately 3.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year from its buildings alone and must cut this by 15 per cent by 2010 if it is to meet mandatory targets set by the Department of Health, and establish a positive reputation with stakeholders.

“Improving carbon management will also enable the sector reduce the £400 million energy bill it faces each year, releasing important funds that can be better used elsewhere so it is imperative that Trusts take action to cut their carbon footprint.

“The Carbon Trust is very excited about building on the success of the first two phases of our NHS CM programme by helping eighteen more NHS Trusts find the right low carbon, low cost solution for them.”

The Carbon Trust’s NHS Carbon Management programme is designed specifically for NHS Trusts - providing staff with support and guidance to integrate good carbon management into their organisation’s infrastructure and day to day operations at all levels.  The initiative requires significant commitment from NHS Trusts that wish to apply – and is most suitable for mid to large hospitals.  The Carbon Trust’s initial assessment, advice and support - including analysis and training - is free of charge, but the organisation’s project leader is required to devote at least two days a week to the programme’s implementation during its ten month duration.  Initial capital investment may also be needed to replace existing infrastructure with more energy efficient models.

The third phase of the Carbon Trust’s NHS Carbon Management programme will run until March 2009.  Any NHS Trust that would like to be considered for the fourth phase of the programme should contact the Carbon Trust by emailing alex.mitchel@carbontrust.co.uk.

 
 
Footnotes
 

Notes to editors

• Ten NHS Trusts were involved in the pilot phase of the NHS CM programme - Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust,  Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, NHS Grampian, Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust

• Twenty NHS Trusts joined phase two of the NHS CM programme in May 2007- Birmingham Primary Care Shared Services Agency supporting (Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust, Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, South Birmingham Primary Care Trust), Carmarthenshire NHS Trust, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cornwall Health Estates Shared Services (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, North East Wales NHS Trust, Pontypridd & Rhondda NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

The Carbon Trust

• The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up by government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector through its work in five complementary areas: insights, solutions, innovations, enterprises and investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop, create and finance low carbon enterprise.

• The Carbon Trust is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.