Gloucestershire Hospitals launches new Green Plan
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has launched its new Green Plan for 2026-2030, setting out how it will reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable healthcare in Gloucestershire over the next four years.
Climate change is increasingly impacting health through rising temperatures, extreme weather events, poorer air quality and additional pressure on infrastructure. The Trust's approach focuses not only on reducing carbon emissions, but also on improving population health, strengthening resilience and supporting better outcomes for patients, staff and local communities.
Building on strong foundations
The launch of the new plan builds on significant progress already achieved. Since 2019, the Trust has reduced its overall carbon footprint by 5,546 tonnes of CO2 - around 3,000 average petrol cars driven for a year. It has also delivered reductions in anaesthetic gas emissions, completed large-scale estate decarbonisation projects and expanded digital services. Sustainability is now a golden thread running throughout the Trust's latest strategy, shaping decision-making across clinical services, estates, procurement and operations.
Will Cleary-Gray, Director of Improvement and Delivery at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "This summer's periods of very high temperatures have provided a clear reminder of why this work matters. We are increasingly seeing the impact of more frequent extreme weather events linked to climate change, both on the communities we serve and on healthcare services.
"As an NHS trust, we see first-hand how environmental factors can affect people's health and wellbeing, and we have a responsibility to play our part in reducing our impact. Sustainability is a golden thread running throughout our Trust Strategy, reflecting our commitment to considering the environmental impact of everything we do, from the care we provide and the medicines we use, to how we design our buildings, travel and work with suppliers.
"We have already made significant progress in reducing our environmental impact, but there is more we know we need to do. Our new Green Plan sets out practical actions that will help us build a more sustainable future for our hospitals and communities."
Priorities for 2026-2030
The Green Plan 2026-2030 focuses on practical actions that will help reduce environmental impact while improving the way care is delivered. Key initiatives include:
- Building sustainability knowledge amongst our staff
- Embedding sustainability into everyday care
- Harnessing digital technology to reduce waste and emissions
- The importance of prevention and community partnerships
- Reducing our energy consumption and increasing on site renewable generation
The plan also commits to reducing energy consumption and increasing on-site renewable energy generation, modernising buildings to improve energy efficiency, supporting active travel and transforming procurement processes to favour more sustainable suppliers. In addition, the Trust will continue to review clinical pathways and practices to ensure sustainability is considered alongside quality and patient care, including opportunities to use greener medicines where appropriate.