Carbon - Monitor, Review & Report

The NHS has a carbon footprint of 21 million tones of CO2e a year. Despite efficiency measures, this is a 40% increase since 1990. Achieving the Climate Change Act targets of a 26% reduction by 2020 and 80% by 2050 will be a challenge, so working towards the 10% reduction target by 2015, established by the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy is a good start.

Graph taken from Saving carbon, improving health: An NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for NHS England, 2009. London: NHS Sustainable Development Unit. Available at www.sdu.nhs.uk.

Graph of the NHS England CO2 emissions baseline and climate change act targets.

This section includes guidance and best practice information on how to monitor, review and report on carbon emissions and will be updated as new measurement and reporting techniques and metrics are developed.

Monitor

The SDU has consulted on a system for Trusts to report their scope 2 emissions (from ERIC data) to each region's SHA on a six-monthly basis - yo u can see the consultation report by clicking here. The Sustainable Health project, in partnership with the South West SHA will develop a reporting strategy and template and will disseminate it to all sustainability leads for comment by the beginning of May 2010. Other scope emissions (ie from transport) can be added on a regional basis, but national reporting will be developed in the coming months.

Advice from the SDU and the Carbon Trust, “In setting targets for carbon reduction, it is important both that NHS Trusts consider all emissions sources and that Trusts first target the largest reductions which are also easiest to measure and influence. The 10% SDU target covers all emissions sources- buildings, transport, waste and procurement. To reduce emissions in line with this target action is needed in all areas of the footprint.

Review & Report

Managing your NHS Trust’s carbon emissions will also enable you to reap the maximum benefit from forthcoming regulation, including the Carbon Reduction Commitment and the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive.

Calculations & Conversions

The purpose of the greenhouse gas (GHG) conversion factors is to help organisations convert existing data sources (e.g. utility bills, car mileage, refrigeration and fuel consumption) into CO2 equivalent emissions by applying relevant conversion factors (e.g. calorific values, emission factors, oxidation factors).