The coronavirus pandemic has been one of the most challenging periods in our lifetime and has required us to make some significant changes to the way we live and work to protect the health of our nation. Over this time, NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has seen a considerable uptake in our digital services which has removed waste from the health and care system; we have onboarded new critical COVID-19 services using our digital platforms quickly and efficiently - adopting a digital by default approach; and we have embraced different ways of working to ensure we can continue to deliver our brilliant business to support the frontline NHS.
We are also aware of the climate emergency that we are facing, which needs to be treated with the same attention and urgency. We are already dealing with the impacts of a changing climate and are yet to experience the full consequences of the further changes which are now locked into our future. The climate emergency not only presents many risks to our personal lives and the communities in which we live, but also to the health of our population and the ability to deliver healthcare. Impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and intense heat, cause extensive damage and disruption, whilst poor air quality and changes in vector-borne diseases presents many health risks; all of which contribute to poor outcomes for our physical and mental health. These are clearly documented within the Health and Care Adaptation Report. Urgent action to mitigate and adapt to climate change is required.
NHSBSA exists to provide support to the healthcare system, and so tackling our own impacts and adapting to a changing climate is critical to achieving our vision to be a Catalyst for Better Health. I am incredibly proud of the work we have done to date to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and generate renewable energy at our sites. I am equally as proud of the progress we have made to significantly reduce our waste at source and use of plastic across our services and embed a culture that supports and welcomes continual environment improvement across our organisation.
In September 2020, we publicly declared a climate emergency and communicated our net zero by 2030 ambition. Since then, we have been working to communicate and increase awareness and understanding across all levels of our business so that everyone understands the part they can play in achieving our environment goals. We have established a carbon management plan to support our journey to Net Zero, continued to deliver sustainable services and have advanced work within our supply chain to address the impacts we can influence.
Our Environment Strategy 2022-25 increases the ambition and accelerates our response to the climate emergency. For the first time, it sets out our longer-term environment goals, interim targets and commitments across key areas where we have control and influence. It is within the gift of all colleagues across NHSBSA to make a difference and deliver on these strategic environment priorities.
Together we can increase our efforts to embed sustainability within our culture, operations and services to deliver our brilliant business within the means of the planet.
Michael Brodie
Chief Executive Officer