Sustainability at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP)
Acting responsibly and reducing the impact we have on our environment is an important consideration for the Trust, from the way we care for our patients, to ensuring we have a strong, financial and sustainable system in place. As a large acute healthcare organisation, we are committed to actively delivering our contribution to reduce carbon emissions and embedding sustainability into everything we do. Climate change is globally recognised as the greatest environmental and economic threat faced by national governments and individuals. What’s more, the NHS recognises that climate change is a health emergency: Climate change threatens the foundations of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the NHS.
Based on the findings of the ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service’ report, the NHS has formally adopted two targets, set as the earliest possible credible dates for the NHS to achieve net zero emissions:
- for the NHS Carbon Footprint (emissions under NHS direct control), net zero by 2040, with an ambition for an interim 80% reduction by 2028-2032;
- for the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus, (which includes our wider supply chain), net zero by 2045, with an ambition for an interim 80% reduction by 2036-2039.
Green Plan
Following the report mentioned above and the NHS Long Term Plan, UHP first published our Green Plan in 2020. Since then we have taken steps to embed sustainability into Trust culture and operations in an effort to meet the objectives in the Green Plan. A governance structure has been established with a dedicated Sustainability Sub-Committee, and specific working groups whose purpose has been to drive the aims and objectives set out in the Green Plan.
An updated Green Plan was published in 2023 which sought to set out targeted aims and objectives in a more precise way to ensure that we align with those of the national Greener NHS.
The 2023 Plan has since been updated to align with the new targets outlined in the Green Plan Guidance Refresh document published in February 2025. Some of these areas include, but are not limited to:
- Reducing carbon, waste and water
- Improving air quality and biodiversity
- Reducing the use of avoidable single-use plastics
This Green Plan will guide and develop future services in line with national and local policies to ensure we embed sustainability in all services across the Trust.
View our Green Plan objectives, governance structure and other elements of the plan
Annual Sustainability report
Each year, the Sustainability Team put together an annual sustainability report which provides an update on the Trust’s progress towards both its corporate objectives articulated in the Green Plan, and mitigation of the principal risks set out in the Board Assurance Framework. This report captures progress from May 2024 to April 2025.
Read our Annual Sustainability Report 2024 to 2025
Green Travel Plan
The Green Travel Plan was published in 2023 to support the delivery of the Green Plan, It is intended that this plan will promote sustainable travel at UHP, providing a clear sustainable travel framework which benefits all. It promotes a strategy through which the Trust will be able to manage its journeys related to the operation of its business in a sustainable manner that reduces the social and environmental impact of the Trust.
