UCLH Strengthens Commitment to NHS Net Zero with Updated ‘Care Without Carbon’ Green Plan
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) has unveiled its refreshed ‘Care Without Carbon’ Green Plan, reaffirming its commitment to achieving NHS Net Zero and embedding sustainability at the heart of patient care, staff wellbeing, and community health.
First launched in 2023, the updated plan sets out an ambitious roadmap of measurable actions across nine key themes – including clinical transformation, workforce, supply chain, and digital innovation – ensuring that sustainable practice underpins every part of the Trust’s operations.
The strategy recognises the urgent link between climate change and health outcomes. Recent extreme weather events have shown how environmental pressures directly impact patients, making it more important than ever for healthcare providers to cut emissions and build resilience.
Elliott Westhoff, Head of Sustainability at UCLH, said:
“UCLH has already made remarkable progress in reducing emissions, from greener anaesthetic practices to harnessing digital healthcare. This updated Green Plan celebrates those achievements while setting out clear, measurable steps to go further. Sustainability delivers a triple win for us – reducing carbon, improving patient outcomes, and generating financial savings that can be reinvested into frontline care.”
Developed through a collaborative, data-driven process with staff and partners, ‘Care Without Carbon’ provides a practical blueprint for how a major NHS Trust can continue driving innovation in sustainable healthcare.
Despite ongoing financial challenges across the health service, UCLH emphasises that many initiatives deliver both environmental and economic benefits – proving that sustainability is not just essential, but also cost-effective.
Elliott added:
“The focus and enthusiasm for a greener future across UCLH gives me great confidence that we can keep leading the way. By embedding sustainability in everything we do, we’re creating a healthier, more resilient organisation – for our patients, our people, and future generations.”
This latest milestone underscores UCLH’s role in supporting the NHS’s national target of becoming the world’s first net zero health system, inspiring action across the wider health sector.
