NHS Carbon Footprint
The NHS England carbon footprint is 20 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) - see explanation of CO2e below.
This is a rise of 2 million tonnes since the footprint was first calculated. The rise is due to an increase in the growth in NHS services and because the NHS now measures six greenhouse gases rather than just one.
Despite this initial rise the latest NHS carbon footprint published in 2012 shows emissions have stopped rising and are now levelling off. This levelling off is down to NHS organisations cutting carbon, improvements in NHS building energy efficiency and because of the NHS health service spending review.
The latest NHS Carbon Footprint was commissioned as part of the SDU's Sustainability in the NHS: Health Check 2012 publication.
The first NHS England carbon footprint was published in 2009 and was 18 million tonnes. The ground breaking research commissioned by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit and the Sustainable Development Commission enabled the full consumption-based footprint to be calculated for the NHS in England for the first time. It formed the evidence base for the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy.
In 2010 the SDU published an UPDATE to the NHS England carbon footprint indicating the new figures.
The footprint (in a basic form) is composed of building energy (24%), travel (17%) and procurement (59%).
Despite an increase in efficiency, the NHS carbon footprint has risen by 40% since 1990.
CO2e explanation
CO2e refers to six greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide; Hydrofluorocarbons; Methane; Nitrous oxide; Perfluorocarbons and Sulphur hexafluoride. The NHS now measures its carbon footprint in CO2e so we are in line with latest conventions. This convention allows all six greenhouse gases to be measured on a like for like basis. This is important as some of the gases have a greater warming effect than CO2. Now all the gases can be compared relative to one unit of CO2.
More information on climate change ...
More information on the health impacts of climate change ...
More information on adapting to climate change in the NHS ...