Introduction
At Leeds Community Healthcare, we take our responsibility for reducing our carbon footprint seriously. That is why we have reviewed our net zero target and made the decision to bring that date forward to 2040. We hope this new target will result in increased focus and determination to reduce our carbon emissions and play our part tackling the challenge of climate change.
Progress over the past 3 years
Since the publication of the previous 2022 to 2025 Green Plan there have been significant positive progress for the trust’s sustainability agenda. We have improved our cycling facilities across the estate, enhanced our green spaces by working with the White Rose Forest organisation and significantly improved our waste streams.
A particular highlight was the trust being shortlisted for the 2025 National Staff Benefit awards for making electric vehicles more affordable through our salary sacrifice and business lease schemes.
Plans for the next 3 years
We have been clear in the new 3-year Green Plan that we must be bold and ambitious with our project list. The below highlights how the trust will move forward in the 4 main emitting areas to decrease its overall emissions.
Procurement
Within procurement the trust will aim to improve several areas such as:
- Packaging
- The life cycle of the products we order
- Ensure sustainability is a foundation in the consideration of contracts we procure
- Review of single use plastics.
- We will also continue with work as closely as possible with our procurement partners at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT).
Buildings and estate
The trust recognises the challenges that come with decarbonising its estate, and has taken a practical realistic approach over the next 3 years to make meaningful change.
- This includes a move to LED lighting in all our buildings
- Introduction of SMART meters and centralised cloud technologies to improve heating controls.
- Evaluation of the trust’s buildings roofs to establish which ones are appropriate for installation of solar panels.
Toward the end of the 3-year period the trust will aim to review and prioritise buildings that will need a boiler replacement over the next 5 years in anticipation for central heating transition from gas to electric.
Travel and transport
Emissions have decreased from LCHs travel, mainly through a shift of staff using an electric vehicle for travel compared to petrol or diesel cars. Although this is a positive step in the right direction the overall mileage at LCH remains stubbornly high. Therefore, focus over the next 3 years will be to continue to facilitate mileage reduction, not only to curb emissions but to also have an impact on efficiency on services and financial savings.
Waste
As waste is already making strong progress due to the transition to the improved waste streams the sustainability department will continue to work closely with the trust’s waste department to continue progress already made. There will be deep dive into hotspots of waste within the organisation and an emphasis on staff awareness campaigns. Finally, the trust will continue to work in collaboration with other large public sector organisations to explore waste to energy options.
