Environmental performance
As one of the largest employers in South West London, we recognise our role as an anchor institution (see Better Environments section).
Taken as a whole the NHS is one of the largest landowners in England. Through our role as an anchor institution, we have an opportunity to intentionally manage our land and buildings in a way that has a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. The effects of good management can improve the health and well-being of our communities and reduce health inequalities.
A well-maintained and well-designed estate is the bedrock on which our clinical services are delivered. They must meet current and future service needs, provide a good patient experience, offer a high-quality healing environment, and support the NHS and government’s net zero carbon strategies.
We have continued our rejuvenation journey over the past year. During the development of Springfield Village, we have taken no building waste off-site, instead redeveloping and reusing it in our new 32-acre park. Trinity and Shaftesbury buildings also have a new efficient heating system that supports the energy across Springfield Village (residential as well as health care).
Our new 32-acre park opened to the public in 2024 with the formal opening ceremony taking place in 2025. The park has important environmental benefits, including sustainable urban water drainage and water retention lagoons, increased permeable surfaces to reduce water run-off, and designed flora and fauna that support natural biodiversity. In the year ahead we will see the opening of the next two areas of the park.
Our Green Plan
We have adopted the following vision for our Green Plan (2021-2026):
‘A sustainable health and care service which works within the available environmental and social resources, protecting and improving health and opportunities for local communities now and for future generations.’
The progression towards carbon net zero through our Green Plan does not encompass the full scope of the sustainability agenda. It also includes biodiversity and the promotion and utilization of green spaces to support health and well-being. Our Green Plan focuses on tangible efforts to reduce carbon emissions rather than relying on offsetting.
Carbon Footprint
We have set two targets:
1. For the emissions we control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), we will reach net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032;
2. For the emissions we can influence (our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), we will reach net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2036 to 2039.
Strategy for sustainability
To embed sustainability within our organisation, we are supporting each of the following areas, and in year we have delivered the following initiatives:
· Travel and Transport
Promotion of cycling and public transport among staff.
Cycle to Work Scheme: The Trust is actively promoting this initiative. We have held three Dr Bike sessions for the 2024/25 period.
Travel Survey Q4: We have integrated local questions from the Travel Survey into our Quarterly Pulse Survey to support our green strategy.
Green Fleet Vehicles: We have purchased additional green fleet vehicles. One vehicle was delivered in January 2025, and a second EV vehicle will be delivered to Tolworth Hospital by April 2025.
Capital funding has adopted the requirement to provide a new EV vehicle for Estates and Facilities on an annual basis.
World Sustainable Day: Awareness was promoted on the intranet, encouraging walking, cycling, and public transport.
We are exploring the formation of a walking group to enjoy the green spaces at Springfield .
· Digital transformation
Video Conferencing: Digital video conferencing has been deployed across all Trust sites. This is reducing travel to and from sites by staff for meetings.
Managed Print Solution: The Managed Print Solution has been implemented and we are in the process of renewing the contract with the supplier. Part of the renewal will also involve further rationalisation of printers across the Trust to further reduce the use of paper across the organisation.
Ward Workflows: Ward workflow screens in nursing stations across the Trust have reduced the use of paper.
eOBs: Tablets for the use of electronic observations by clinical staff in wards have reduced the use of paper.
· Waste management
Successful waste segregation and reduction initiatives: The New Waste Regulations to be introduced in March 2025 require organisations with 10 or more employees (per site) to recycle food waste. Up until now we have recycled food waste from wards and catering services only, in an anaerobic digestion process, where the waste is broken down and produces gas which is fed back into the national grid. We will now be introducing this process into every kitchen across sites where Soft FM services are provided.
From May 2025, food waste on wards will be measured not only in Tray waste (the food left on the trolley and not served) but also in plate waste. The food waste left by patients on their plates will be weighed and recorded.
We have introduced battery recycling across all sites and disposal of single use vapes with a dedicated recycling process. We will continue to explore additional recycling processes for each of our waste streams.
· Estate management
We have adjusted running times of the air conditioning systems in the new hospitals to avoid waste when the systems are not required. This will reduce emissions and save cost.
· Sustainable models of care
We have increased prescribing of dry powder inhalers to reduce environmental impact.
Improved stock management of long-acting depot injections in community teams – has reduced overages and wastages as well as additional transport costs – we identified overstocking of £30,000 of medicines and reducing this stockholding has reduce wastage
Deliveries to/from different community teams reduced to once a month where possible (down from 2-3 x a month)
Reuse of medicines and reducing waste - Value of medicines returned to pharmacy stock in 24/25 = £135,628
Pharmacy successfully removed all paper outpatient clozapine prescriptions.
· Supply chain and procurement (environmental and social aspects).
Procurement continues to ensure that social value and environmental matters form at least 10% of tender evaluations. Two key tendering projects during this period were Soft FM (Catering and Cleaning) and External Audit Service. Both had particular emphasis during the tendering process on the social value element of the bids with the External Audit Service having 20% of the evaluation criteria attributed to social value.
This year has seen us raise awareness and help support “green” activity in day to day purchasing. Buyers now have an objective as part of their annual performance and development review (PADR) to support the Trust's Green Policy by actively considering social value in buying decisions.
The NHS London Procurement Partnership sustainability lead has recently hosted an online event with the Procurement team to introduce the work that they are doing and how that can support our efforts.
Procurement was represented at a sustainability forum about the NHS Green Procurement and Circular economy
The Procurement team are challenging the need for electrical equipment to minimise the environmental impact and reviewing with Maintenance colleagues the process for condemning and replacing such items. We also actively avoid using external suppliers, especially for small deliveries, where there will be an environmental impact. The preference is to use NHS Supply Chain where possible as they support the NHS green agenda and consolidate deliveries with local Trusts to minimise carbon emissions.
As part of its “Anchor institution” commitment the Head of Procurement has taken part in two events run by London boroughs (Croydon and Wandsworth) to support local SMEs in how to seek opportunities with us.
Corporately we will be considering applications for further ‘green’ funding as these become available, and the RIBA stage 4 designs for Tolworth confirm the 100% electric building solution, BREEAM excellent rating*, and future-proofing of mechanical and electrical services.
*BREEAM – Excellent Target
Sustainability and futureproofing
Sustainability: A fully electric building means the energy demand will be significantly less than with gas. Renewable energy such as PV cells covers a significant area of the roof. The contractor is currently conducting a review of the building to NHS Net Zero Building Standards, including the operational energy and carbon compliance, and whole life carbon compliance tool. The scheme is also on target to achieve BREEAM 2014 ‘Excellent’, meaning the performance will be within the top 10% of non-domestic buildings within the UK.
Concerning environmental credentials, the building will be operated as fully electric and comply with the New Part L Building Control document. This means that the external fabric of the building will be much better insulated against heat loss than most buildings, along with triple glazing.
Future Proofing: The building is futureproofed with ducting for expansion and electric vehicle charging included.
Task force on climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD)
The Government Accounting Manual (GAM) has adopted a phased approach to incorporating the TCFD recommended disclosures as part of sustainability annual reporting requirements for NHS bodies, stemming from HM Treasury's TCFD aligned disclosure guidance for public sector annual reports.
TCFD recommended disclosures, as interpreted and adapted for the public sector by the HM Treasury TCFD aligned disclosure application guidance, will be fully incorporated into our sustainability reporting requirements on a phased basis up to the 2025/26 financial year, with the exception of the requirement to disclose scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions and the related risks as part of the metrics and targets pillar.
The phased approach incorporates the disclosure requirements of the governance, risk management and metrics and targets pillars for 2024/25. These disclosures are provided below with appropriate cross referencing to relevant information elsewhere in the annual report and in other external publications.
Governance pillar : The Board receives assurance through the monthly Finance and Performance Committee (FPC) for organisational performance, and through Modernisation Committee for the implementation of the Estates Modernisation Financial Business Case (which replaces our ageing estates with BREEAM excellent facilities). In turn the Committee receives its assurance from the Estates and Facilities reporting section. This was strengthened in 2024/25 with deep dives on a half yearly basis.
The Executive lead for delivery of the Green Plan is the Better Communities Programme Director. This responsibility is discharged through a number of roles including: Green Agenda and Sustainability Lead and Associate Director of Estates and Facilities.
Management reporting happens through the capital programme board, Estates and Facilities reporting meeting and Better Communities Transformation Group.
All committee reports include, within the key implications section, a requirement to consider the impact (positive, negative or neutral) of the implementation of the recommendations on sustainability/green issues within the Trust’s adopted Green Delivery Plan.
Identifying and assessing climate-related risks: We are committed to exploring a systematic process for identifying and assessing climate-related risks. This initiative aligns with the Trust's Green Plan and the broader NHS commitment to achieving net zero emissions.
Key areas of risk that are relevant to mental health services include:
• Increased demand for services during extreme heat events
• Disruption to continuity of care due to flooding or extreme weather events.
• Increased risk to vulnerable inpatients during heatwaves
The Trust’s Green Plan sets out clear actions for climate resilience, including engagement with local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and emergency planning teams.
Climate-related risks over the next three years will be addressed through a combination of adaptation, mitigation, and operational planning measures. These include:
• Develop a structured process to identify and evaluate climate-related risks.
• Roll out the Climate Adaptation Toolkit to all departments, focusing on risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
• Collaborate with estates, clinical governance, emergency planning, and health and safety teams to refine and implement the toolkit.
• Regular reporting to the Green Plan Deliver Group.
By focusing on these priorities, the Trust aims to build resilience against climate-related risks while supporting the NHS's broader sustainability goals.
Metrics and Target Pillar
The key metrics and trend performance are described below:
Energy
In 2024/25, the Trust achieved a notable reduction in energy spending, with a total expenditure of £2,541,855.00, thanks in large part to falling energy prices since the previous report. While there has been an increase in our emissions, this is largely due to the successful integration of the new Trinity and Shaftesbury buildings at Springfield, which are now powered by a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit. This system efficiently generates electricity by converting gas and currently supplies the majority of Springfield Hospital’s energy.
As we continue to settle into our new hospital environment, we are entering a more stable operational phase. This presents a valuable opportunity to focus on managing our energy consumption more effectively, with the goal of reducing emissions in the near future. We've already begun taking action—reviewing heating and cooling operations and, with the help of advanced Building Management System (BMS) technologies, reducing out-of-hours usage across most areas. These efforts are expected to contribute to a noticeable reduction in consumption over the coming year.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the upcoming development at Tolworth, where we will be installing sustainable energy systems for the new hospital. The facility will be powered by air source heat pumps, an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solution that aligns with our long-term sustainability goals.
Measurable usage of gas and electricity across all sites
Waste
There has been a decrease in total waste, 35% of which has been recycled. We have had a number of breakdowns of our compactors and the recycling compactor, and there has been an element of contamination due to the recycling waste stream, as a result some recycling waste had to be diverted, or reclassified, as general waste. We continue to work with our waste provider to improve recycling and reduce breakdown of equipment.
Water
Water consumption has decreased in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24. This reflects the success of water-saving initiatives introduced in recent years, as well as improvements in infrastructure that have helped to reduce leakage across the system.
Despite this reduction in usage, the cost of water consumption has risen significantly. This increase is partly due to general rising costs in the sector, but primarily the result of a historical undercharging issue identified by the water companies. A reconciliation bill was issued to correct this, accounting for the majority of the increased charges. While this presented an unexpected cost, it also ensures a more accurate billing process moving forward and helps us better forecast and manage future budgets.
Carbon footprint
We remain fully committed to monitoring and reducing the carbon impact of our operations. Our ongoing assessment of the estate and its usage allows us to identify opportunities for applying grants and schemes that can help us transition from less efficient systems to lower-emission alternatives, in line with national and system-wide sustainability targets.
In 2024, we appointed a dedicated Sustainability Lead who supports our Green Delivery Group and oversees the integration of sustainability across the organisation. We have also established a Green/Sustainability Board to enhance governance and prioritisation of carbon reduction efforts. Our approach spans from supporting local procurement of services and goods to collaborating with external partners to secure effective solutions and funding for emissions reduction.
Progress has been made in advancing our Heat Decarbonisation Plan, which outlines key areas for improvement. Recommendations include replacing outdated gas-fired boilers with air source heat pumps, installing solar panels, upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting, improving building fabric such as windows, and investing in smarter BMS and metering systems. We are currently reviewing the plan and developing a delivery strategy to implement these initiatives over the coming years.
We are pleased to report recent successes in securing funding, including £90,000 for LED lighting upgrades on one ward and £300,000 for solar panel installation at Tolworth Hospital. Both projects are scheduled for delivery within the next year. Additionally, we are on the reserve list for further solar panels at Springfield Hospital (£200,000) and await the outcome of an EV infrastructure funding bid (£55,000).
Beyond external funding, we have also invested Trust capital in sustainability projects. This includes the installation of EV chargers, the purchase of a new EV for our fleet, window replacements at Springfield Hospital, the upgrade of older air handling units, and the phased removal of F-gas refrigerants at Tolworth Hospital. Looking forward, our ambition is to fully transition our fleet to EVs and ensure the supporting infrastructure is in place.
To reflect our commitment, our capital programme now includes a dedicated line for ‘Green Schemes’, a clear signal of our strategic focus on delivering net zero emissions.
Targets:
The Trust aligns its climate-related targets with the national NHS Net Zero targets: Net zero for direct emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2040. Net zero for indirect emissions (Scope 3) by 2045.
Metrics to assess its exposure to climate-related risks and track its sustainability progress, including:
• Carbon footprint (Scopes 1, 2, and partial Scope 3.)
• Percentage of fleet electrified
• Number of climate-related incidents recorded (e.g., service disruptions due to heat/flood).
The Trust is dedicated to setting a benchmark in combating climate change. Our unwavering efforts are focused on building a sustainable and resilient healthcare system that safeguards both our patients and the environment.