focus on health
NHS rolls out a strategy
for a smaller carbon footprint
It is almost impossible to open a
We stressed in our opening editorial to this
newspaper without finding at least one
edition that the best way to get action on car-
bon emissions is to translate the requirements
feature about climate change. Clichéd
into a positive impact on today’s P&L account.
pictures of polar bears on shrinking ice-
At a stroke, it makes sense in a way that eve-
caps make cheap attention grabbers:
ryone involved in running an organisation can
pundits with degrees in environmental
understand. And, so long as there remains a
controversy over the extent of the impact of car-
studies fill column inches with dire
bon emissions on climate change, executives
predictions and the same tired
can feel satisfied that they are making a mean-
strictures on why airline travel or
ingful contribution without becoming em-
whatever is such a bad idea.
broiled in a scientific debate.
Nothing new there. It is only when you
get to the end of the piece that you
Accepting that there is a linkage
realise that the polemic contained no
Without selecting any one from the array of
practical advice of any consequence –
calculations being put forward to justify the
consequences, it is probably safe to accept
but that is not surprising, as to come up
that there is a correlation between carbon
with constructive help requires real
emissions and climate change. Reducing the
world experience of how organisations
carbon footprint of an organisation is there-
operate. Executives responsible for
fore likely to have a positive effect, no matter
how small.
putting money on the bottom line find
When the ‘organisation’ is large, as in the
it difficult to explain to their
case of a national government, that effect
stakeholders why expenditure is having
could be significant. The UK government has
to be diverted from front line activities
accepted that principle; even to the extent of
binding itself in a straightjacket of its own mak-
to support a concept that will probably
ing in the form of the Climate Change Act 2008
not have any tangible impact until at
which defines targets that the administration
least a generation after they have
of the day should achieve.
ceased to have an interest in what
There are legally binding government goals
of a minimum 80% reduction in carbon emis-
happens.
sions by 2050, with a progress marker of 26%
Can a single carbon strategy apply across the whole NHS?
The Informed Executive
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