NHS Wales has a carbon footprint of around 1.00MtC02e, second only to local authorities in Wales. This is the equivalent to the energy use of almost 126,000 homes for a whole year.
Our sustainability action plan is being developed. It highlights actions we can take at HEIW to reduce this, so we can contribute to the Welsh Government target of a net zero public sector by 2030.
This plan looks to:
By adopting sustainable practices, we can reduce our impact on the environment, preserve natural resources and promote social and economic equity.
We have a unique position as HEIW, to provide education and training to healthcare professionals in a way that encourages them to question practices to find the most sustainable means of delivering healthcare now, and in the future.
At the end of 2022/23, we commissioned an external supplier to undertake a detailed carbon footprint exercise for HEIW and to make recommendations to help us improve our carbon footprint going forward.
The report showed that our carbon hotspots are in procurement, staff commuting and events.
We have refreshed our Sustainability Action Plan for this year to focus on these hotspot and we expect to continue this focus in our plan for 2024/25.
If you have any feedback or would like to get involved, please join the HEIW Green Group or contact HEIW.Planning&Performance@wales.nhs.uk.
For further information, see the Help the NHS go green pages on our website.
At HEIW, as part of NHS Wales, we recognise the impact of climate change on population health and the significant carbon footprint of healthcare. In line with the NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan, we are playing our part to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change ourselves and to help others in the system do the same.
HEIW is implementing the Climate Smart Education and Training Action Plan to help ensure access to sustainable healthcare education and training is available to all learners and trainees in HEIW’s remit. The plan is continuing to raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable healthcare system for the well-being of future generations and providing education and training to help learners and trainees to make their practice more sustainable. Together, and in collaboration with colleagues across the system, this plan will help to create a more sustainable NHS Wales for the benefit of patients and population health.
The Climate Smart Education and Training Action Plan has been developed by the HEIW Climate Smart Education and Training Working Group, an internal group with representation from across professional pathways and programmes in HEIW. The plan includes 60 multiprofessional and profession-specific actions grouped by six themes and is supported by sets of development principles and priorities. Development of the plan has been guided by a maturity matrix for embedding sustainable healthcare education and baselines for each level of the matrix (baselines are still in development).
Priority actions are planned for delivery by March 2026, but in line with the evolving work there is further scoping to undertake in some areas which will inform future iterations of the plan. Further information and updates will be shared here and on the Climate Smart Community.
What is sustainable healthcare? With Dr Katherine Speedy
Environmental sustainability within the dental practice
We're part of the network of Green Groups throughout health boards in NHS Wales.