Five years of a greener NHS: progress and forward look

In 2020, the NHS became the first healthcare system in the world to commit to becoming net zero

This commitment was made in response to the evidence that climate change is no longer a distant threat but is already affecting the health and wellbeing of patients and communities across the country.

The benefits of taking action not only reduce the future impacts of climate change, but also deliver more immediate benefits for health.

Such action sits alongside the urgent need to adapt the NHS to the impacts of climate change, which will be felt hardest by the most vulnerable in our society, and will place significant strain on NHS infrastructure, staff and finances.

Healthcare in England is estimated to contribute between 4% and 5% of national emissions, and around 40% of all emissions generated by the public sector.

Not only does the NHS have a clear responsibility to minimise its environmental impact, building a more sustainable NHS offers a unique opportunity to deliver better patient care while minimising cost and impact on future services.

NHS England committed to regular reviews of progress, and this report is the first assessment.

To support this work, the NHS Net Zero Expert Panel – comprising global leaders and specialists in environmental sustainability, healthcare and carbon analytics – was convened to provide guidance on the next stages of this critical journey.