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It Matters to…. “Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.”
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It Matters to… “Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” This statement opens and sums up the final report of a year-long Commission held jointly between The Lancet and University College London (UCL) Institute for Global Health. Climate change will have its greatest impact on those who are already the poorest in the world: it will deepen inequities and the effects of global warming will shape the future of health among all peoples. Yet this message has failed to penetrate most public discussion about climate change UCL Lancet Commission, May 2009
"We should work harder to find the synergies [between reducing emissions and improving health] - we need to be creative."Sir Liam DonaldsonChief Medical Officer, December 2008
The National Health Service (NHS) as a Corporate Citizen • Food and Health Action Plan • Transport and Health • Healthy Sustainable Communities • Health Impact
Saving Carbon Improving Health A Board-approved Sustainable Development Management Plan containing a commitment to reduce each organisation’s 2007 carbon footprint by 10% by 2015. Signing up to the Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Model. Monitoring, reviewing and reporting on carbon; and Actively raising carbon awareness at every level of the organisation NHS Sustainable Development Units Carbon Reduction Strategy, ‘Saving Carbon, Improving Health’ published in January 2009. The strategy sets out the following six key reasons why NHS organisations need to act now to understand, manage and reduce their carbon footprint….
Reason 1 Legally-binding, UK Government targets to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels. Governance arrangements of all NHS organisations will need to demonstrate how this is being measured, monitored and managed.
Reason 2 The strength of scientific evidence that climate change is resulting from increased carbon emissions and that this is destabilising the world’s climate and adversely affecting the population’s health.
Reason 3 The health benefits for patients, populations and the health system in reducing carbon emissions through increasing levels of active travel, reducing road traffic accidents and improving air quality.
Reason 4 Reducing costs through improved energy efficiency and increased resilience towards fluctuations in the price and availability of energy. This should be a part of each organisations risk register.
Reason 5 A strong willingness by NHS organisations and staff to take a lead. 95% of NHS organisations responding to the draft consultation supported the NHS being at the forefront of reducing carbon emissions.
Reason 6 The NHS should set an example to partner organisations and the population and be the public sector exemplar, demonstrating that healthy people depends on a healthy environment.
Requirement Have a Board approved Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) which includes the initiatives outlined in the SDU’s guidance ‘NHS Board level Sustainable Development Management Plan guidance’ (such as travel, waste, procurement, water), and require this of Trusts they commission from.
Requirement Register and use the renewed Good Corporate Citizen Assessment Model launched in July 2009 to inform their SDAP, and require this of Trusts they commission from.
Requirement Ensure that their procurement of goods and services considers sustainability and incorporate this requirement into their contracts with providers.
Barrier …. Financial co-benefits of green procurement vs. hidden life-cycle costs of conventional items At first sight, many "green" alternatives will seem more expensive than standard products. However, a life-cycle assessment may reveal substantial savings. These may be particularly pronounced with, for example, energy-saving products manufactured with less toxic materials. These typically have substantially lower use costs over their lifetime and lower disposal costs.
