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Sustainable development is integral to the Scottish Government's overall purpose and is the overarching issue and approach which all public sector bodies are required to adopt.
The sustainability of Scotland’s NHS has strategic relevance to the population’s health and to the quality of service provision. As a major public sector organisation whose primary motivation is the improvement of Scotland’s health, NHSScotland must be seen to set the best possible example to other organisations and the general population through the sustainability of its activities.
The development of plans to achieve improved health and wellbeing and to continue to deliver high quality care is the essence of sustainable development.
CEL 2 (2012) provides a statement of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates Policy on Sustainable Development for NHSScotland
.A Policy on Sustainable Development for NHSScotland - CEL 2 (2012)
The Policy statement supersedes NHS HDL(2006)21 ‘An Environmental Management Policy for NHSScotland’. However, there is much within HDL(2006)21 still of relevance to NHSScotland and those strands of activity identified as such are incorporated into the Policy statement and the supporting 2012 revision of the Sustainable Development Strategy for NHSScotland (published by Health Facilities Scotland).
Sustainable Development Strategy for NHSScotland 2012 (opens in a new window/tab)
The 2012 revision of the Sustainable Development Strategy for NHSScotland together with NHSScotland body-specific Sustainable Development Action Plans will form the framework and provide guidance for implementation of the Policy on Sustainable Development for NHSScotland 2012. They will also assist in addressing some of the wider sustainability challenges raised by use of the Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Model (GCCAM).
Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Model for NHSScotland - CEL 14 (2010)
CEL 14 (2010) announces the launch of the Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Model for NHSScotland. The Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Model Scotland website provides practical advice for all NHSScotland organisations on how to coordinate and further progress their contributions to sustainable development. This is done through a series of questions relating to all aspects of their organisation from travel through buildings to community engagement. The website also contains extensive support and background information. All boards will be registered with and using the self-assessment tool by the end of June 2010.
NHSS Waste Management Action Plan 2016-2020
The NHSScotland Waste Management Action Plan 2016-2020 draws on the requirements of the previous 2013-2016 Action Plan which was issued to assist NHS Boards prepare for the requirements of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012. The 2016-2020 Action Plan has been prepared to assist NHS Boards in continuing to meet their statutory obligations. It also aims to improve practice through identifying options for greater efficiency and, where possible, gaining value from the services in place and reducing costs where possible.
NHSS Waste Management Action Plan 2013-2016
The Health Facilities Scotland Waste Management Steering Group has
developed a new Waste Management Action Plan to assist NHS Boards in meeting best practice and regulatory requirements under The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, looking specifically at the period 2013-2016.
NHS CEL 14 (2013) refers
The Scottish Government recognises climate change will have far reaching effects on Scotland's economy, its people and its environment and is determined to play its part in rising to this challenge. The world-leading Climate Change (Scotland) Act was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in 2009.
Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (opens in a new window/tab)
The Sustainable Scotland Network has established a Climate Change Portal website as a resource to support public sector action on climate change and to improve understanding, influence, impact and reporting within the public sector.
Public Sector Climate Change Portal (opens in a new window/tab)
On 29 May 2014 the first Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme as required by section 53 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 was published. It addresses the impacts identified for Scotland in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published under section 56 of the UK Climate Change Act 2008. It sets out Scottish Ministers objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change, their proposals and policies for meeting those objectives, and the period within which those proposals and policies will be introduced.
Adaptation Scotland guidance on Climate Change Adaptation
Adaptation Scotland provides advice and support to help organisations, businesses and communities in Scotland prepare for, and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change and has prepared a number of tools and resources for public bodies which aim to increase awareness and understanding of climate risks, and help public bodies put in place structures to manage these in line with the adaptation requirement of the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties enacted by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Adaptation Scotland - Climate Ready Public Sector (opens in a new window/tab)
Adaptation Scotland’s five steps to managing your climate risks is designed to support compliance with the adaptation requirement of the duties.
Further assistance on adapting to the impacts of climate change and assessing the current and future climate risks, impacts and opportunities for the NHSScotland estate and operations is available to NHS Boards from the Health Facilities Scotland Climate Change Team.
The Public Bodies Climate Change Duties, established by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires that Public Bodies, as listed in schedule 2 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 exercise their functions:
The Public Bodies Climate Change Duties came into force on 1 January 2011.
The Scottish Government has published guidance to help public bodies comply with the duties:
Public Bodies Climate Change Duties: Putting them into practice (opens in a new window/tab)
H.E.A.T. Targets
Phase 2 of the H.E.A.T. Target reporting commenced in 2010/11 and was designed to run until 2014/15 - a five year campaign. This campaign has now concluded and the HEAT Target E8 final quarter data shows that overall, NHSScotland has exceeded the energy consumption target by 0.28% - a 4.62% reduction against a target of 4.34%, but has, unfortunately, missed the CO2 reductions target by 6.91% - a 5.95% reduction against a target of 12.86%.
2014-15 Final Quarter Carbon/Energy H.E.A.T. Target Report (opens in a new window/tab)
Mandatory reporting on the Climate Change (Scotland) Act Public Sector Duties
Part 4 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 allows Ministers, by Order, to impose other climate change duties, to require reports on compliance with climate change duties and to designate one or more bodies or persons to monitor compliance and to carry out investigations.
Mandatory (statutory) reporting on the public bodies' duties under this option of The Act is now considered necessary to introduce a standard approach which will enable consistent performance information to be collected in order to drive further improvements in performance across the sector.
A standard reporting template for this purpose has been developed by Scottish Government in consultation with other public bodies, including NHSScotland via Health Facilities Scotland. NHS Bodies are required to submit annual climate change reports using the template to the Sustainable Scotland Network. This reporting format will replace the current H.E.A.T Target reporting methodology and the FReM PSSR requirement post-2014/15.
Further information on Public Sector Climate Change Reporting can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Further information on submitting reports, together with support and resources, can be found on the Sustainable Scotland Network website.
New NHSScotland energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions targets
A new NHSScotland energy and GHG targeting regime to replace the H.E.A.T Targets will align with national Scottish Government targets. Targets will apply to absolute energy consumption and to GHG emissions from energy use only.
The new targets will also support the Scottish Government’s Heat Generation Policy Statement, thus should stipulate a percentage amount of heat consumption from renewable energy sources across the estate.
In addition to overall NHSScotland targets, each NHS Board is to be allocated a specific target based on the capacity to make reductions within its estate to avoid imposing unachievable targets on individual Boards where there is little opportunity for further significant reductions. The individual targets are to be agreed with Boards through liaison with Health Facilities Scotland.
It is proposed that NHS Health Scotland, NHS Education Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland are excluded from the new energy and GHG targeting regime as they do not own any estate. However, these Boards will still be required to produce mandatory climate change reports on other elements.
For further information contact the Health Facilities Scotland Climate Change Team.
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