Morning, Tuesday, 28th April 2026
This conference will examine ways forward for advancing NHS net zero and wider sustainability goals, in light of NHS England’s recently published report, Five years of a greener NHS: progress and forward look.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss priorities for the next phase of delivery, including how sustainability ambitions can be carried through as the NHS implements the 10 Year Health Plan and its three shifts to prioritising prevention, providing care closer to home, and utilising digital tools.
Infrastructure
Discussion will focus on practical options for decarbonising clinical pathways, procurement practices, and NHS infrastructure, including how the shift to community care can be implemented in ways that align with wider action on energy and transport emissions - alongside how to manage the environmental impacts and unintended effects of rapid digitalisation.
Governance
Priorities for funding, investment and governance in supporting delivery will be considered, including approaches to managing short-term cost pressures alongside achieving longer-term savings, embedding sustainability into NHS capital programmes, practicalities and cost-effectiveness of public-private delivery models, and how accountability for sustainability can be reflected in oversight mechanisms, workforce development, and local implementation.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy: implications of Five years of a greener NHS: progress and forward look and the 10 Year Health Plan - integrating sustainability into system reform - national and local delivery alignment
- the three shifts:
- embedding net zero objectives into prevention, community-based care and digital transformation
- managing potential trade-offs between service redesign, emissions reduction and patient outcomes
- addressing potential unintended emissions shifts, including transport emissions reduction as care moves closer to home
- supply chains and procurement:
- reducing emissions from logistics and purchasing - strengthening supplier engagement, ethical standards and financial resilience
- use of data analytics, AI and circular economy approaches to track and reduce Scope 3 emissions
- funding and investment:
- reconciling short-term cost pressures with longer-term savings - integrating sustainability into NHS capital programmes
- considering the future role and value-for-money priorities for public-private delivery
- estates and infrastructure:
- next steps following updated NHS Green Plan guidance - assessing approaches to heat decarbonisation pathways for healthcare settings
- approaches to assessing building performance at design stage for new facilities - considerations for upgrading and retrofitting the existing estate
- clinical pathways:
- practicalities of incorporating carbon considerations into clinical and procurement decisions
- opportunities for developing more sustainable models of care - the role of GIRFT in supporting consistent improvement
- technology impacts:
- implications of the shift to digitalisation and growing use of AI on emissions
- mitigating manufacturing impacts and data centre energy demands - opportunities for AI and emerging technologies to reduce waste and inefficiency
- governance and accountability:
- embedding sustainability into oversight and assurance mechanisms - strengthening incentives and contractual levers - balancing national leadership with local innovation
- workforce engagement: integrating environmental sustainability into training and quality improvement - addressing barriers, such as time, capability and organisational support
