New study explores options for reducing the carbon footprint of NHS procurement
AN INDEPTH study is being carried out to provide the most accurate assessment to date of the carbon footprint of NHS procurement activities.
The NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) first calculated the CO2 impact of NHS expenditure in 2008, but wants to update this to reflect subsequent changes and new evidence.
SDU analyst, Imogen Tennison, said: “This project allows organisations to look a little deeper at the costs embedded in all the items they buy. As costs increase, understanding the ‘carbon hotspots’, that’s to say the areas which produce the most carbon, will be essential to saving money and resources in the future.”
The analysis could provide greater transparency about which suppliers, products and types of organisation are the biggest contributors to the NHS England procurement carbon footprint
The organisation is now asking NHS trusts to help build the evidence base by accurately recording expenditure and procurement data. This information will enable the research team to establish which areas are the most carbon intensive and which goods and services contribute most to the overall carbon footprint. In return for sending in their figures, trusts will receive, free of charge, a customised summary of carbon hotspots for each individual organisation. This will highlight where the most savings can be made.
Achieving the targets set out in the Climate Change Act will only be possible with increased transparency about the carbon footprint of goods and services we buy
Sonia Roschnik, operations director at the SDU, said: “The NHS SDU is pleased that NHS organisations are getting the opportunity to identify carbon hotspots in their procurement carbon footprint at no cost. The analysis could also provide greater transparency about which suppliers, products and types of organisation are the biggest contributors to the NHS England procurement carbon footprint.
“Achieving the targets set out in the Climate Change Act will only be possible with increased transparency about the carbon footprint of goods and services we buy.”
All data will be analysed by NHS Shared Business Services and @UK, with the initial results available early next year.