The NHS was founded to provide high-quality care for all, now, and for future generations. Understanding that climate change and human health are inextricably linked, in October 2020, it became the first in the world to commit to delivering a net zero national health system.

2 clear and feasible targets are outlined in the Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report and reiterated in our recent progress report:

• The NHS Carbon Footprint: for the emissions we control directly, net zero by 2040
• The NHS Carbon Footprint Plus: for the emissions we can influence, net zero by 2045.

Led by Chris Gormley, the NHS’s Chief Sustainability Officer, the Greener NHS team exists to drive this transformation.

In the last 5 years the NHS’s commitment to deliver a net zero health service has been strengthened by national and international action:

• The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced new duties for trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) to consider climate change in their operations, making the NHS the first healthcare system to embed net zero in legislation.
• Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England reinforced the benefits of tackling climate change, stating that ‘there is no trade-off between climate responsibilities and reducing waiting lists. Indeed, often health and climate are mutually reinforcing goals’.
• All trusts and ICBs, encompassing more than 1,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities, now have a green plan – a local strategy for reaching net zero, and are required to provide annual updates on progress to their board.
• Following in the footsteps of the NHS, over 40 countries have set their own net zero targets for their healthcare systems and more than 90 countries around the world have committed to deliver low carbon, sustainable health systems, strengthening the resolve to reduce emissions and improve global supply chain resilience.
• The 10 Year Health Plan reinforced the government’s commitment to a net zero NHS, stating: we will prioritise the NHS’s existing commitments set out in Delivering a Net Zero Health Service.