What we do
Developing a more sustainable healthcare system
The Sustainable Development Unit provides expert advice and support to the health and care system in England become a more sustainable organisation environmentally, financially and socially.
At an environmental level this includes addressing particular issues such as energy, travel, waste, procurement, water, infrastructure adaptation and buildings.
Considering sustainability more broadly expands our work into the wider long term needs of the health service including adaptation of health service delivery, health promotion, tackling the wider determinants of health, corporate social responsibility and developing new sustainable models of care.
We look to provide practical help to colleagues in meeting carbon reduction targets and also engaging with individuals and organisations to change attitudes and behaviours to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.
Key areas of work
- Manage the transition of sustainability in the health, public health and social care system, including the changed remit of the unit, and the regional/centre set up required to deliver the agenda.
- Engage with the sector on the scope, approach and content of a Sustainable Development Strategy and the best ways of delivering sustainability across the health, public health and social care system (to build on and supersede the Carbon Reduction Strategy 2008).
- Develop monitoring and foot printing mechanisms across the sector to support the monitoring of progress including the implementation of the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy and its 10% reduction target by 2015.
- Scope and map the sustainable development requirements for the Public Health system in England with input from Public Health England, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Local government, Health and Wellbeing Boards, and social care to ensure that PHE develops its communities based approach to sustainability.
- Act as an expert point of reference for sustainable development across the health system and act as the formal reporting body for statutory processes such as Adaptation to Climate Change across the health sector.
SDU Business Plan provides more detail on our priorities in the coming year.