The NHS is the world’s first health service to commit to reaching net zero carbon with a vision to respond to climate change and improve health now and for future generations.
The Evergreen Assessment is one of several NHS initiatives designed to support its net zero and wider sustainability objectives and is aimed specifically at its target to reach net zero by 2045 for the emissions it does not have direct control over but that it can influence.
The assessment is a reporting tool enabling suppliers - like Sodexo - to engage with the NHS on their sustainability journey and understand how to align with the NHS net zero and sustainability ambitions, including those set out in the NHS net zero supplier roadmap.
Following the assessment Sodexo Health & Care received Level 3: 2045 net zero targets that are independently validated.
The information reported through Evergreen is supporting Sodexo Health & Care to understand its alignment with NHS sustainability priorities and identify those areas in which it needs to accelerate progress.
The Evergreen Assessment is one of several NHS initiatives designed to support its net zero and wider sustainability objectives
The maturity criteria are informed by leading, independent sustainability initiatives such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the modern slavery assessment tool (MSAT), as well as NHS sustainability requirements including those set out in the net zero supplier roadmap.
The data and information provided by Sodexo will be used to support the NHS in understanding its supply chain carbon footprint, measure progress against its targets, and tailor engagement to support suppliers.
Suppliers are assessed against four maturity levels which indicate alignment with NHS sustainability priorities:
- Level 1: Publicly committed to net zero carbon and engaged with sustainability.
- Level 2: Comprehensive net zero targets and reporting for carbon emissions.
- Level 3: 2045 Net Zero targets that are independently validated.
- Level 4: 2045 Net Zero targets, independently validated, across the global organisation
Philip Leigh, CEO for Health & Care, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the NHS in its vision to deliver the world’s first net zero health service. At Sodexo we are very clear about the need for collaboration in our sustainability strategies, this assessment is a positive step on our journey, we know there is still much work to do which is why it is imperative that we continue to partner with our NHS clients, their teams and patients to make a collective effort to reduce carbon emissions and have a positive impact.”
The assessment is valid for 12 months, after which Sodexo Health & Care will again use the tool to assess its status
In 2023, Sodexo Health & Care reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37% compared to Sodexo's 2017 baseline, over 68,000 tCO2e, the equivalent of flying around the world over 5,800 times.
The assessment is valid for 12 months, after which Sodexo Health & Care will again use the tool to assess its status.
Sodexo UK & Ireland was one of the first organisations to have a SBTi approved net zero target.
It started its net zero journey in 2010, calculating its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, working in partnership with WWF. In 2017 it set a baseline that covered not just its scope 1 and 2 direct operations, but all scope 3 categories across its value chain.
In January this year, Sodexo UK & Ireland reported that it has achieved a 37% reduction in absolute GHG emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3, compared to its baseline year of 2017 – putting the organisation ahead of schedule on its Net Zero 2040 roadmap.
Sodexo UK & Ireland was one of the first organisations to have a SBTi approved net zero target
Further, in 2024 Sodexo received an A in CDP climate ranking, which is a global non-profit organisation holding the largest environmental database in the world.
CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero-carbon, sustainable and resilient economy.
Also, Sodexo for the first time has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies (trademarked) by Ethisphere, which is a business development service defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.
Ethisphere recognises companies that demonstrate business integrity through best-in-class policies and practices.