New framework for sustainable transport

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched a new ‘Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure’ framework agreement, which is designed to support the NHS in lowering its carbon output and achieve its 2040 carbon net zero emissions ambition.

At the moment, the NHS accounts for 4 per cent of the country's total carbon footprint, and emissions from travel and transport make up 14 per cent of the NHS's overall carbon footprint. This includes 4 per cent for business travel and fleet transport, 5 per cent for patient travel, 4 per cent for staff commutes and 1 per cent for visitor travel.

To meet its sustainable transport objectives, the NHS is transitioning fleets to zero-emission vehicles, encouraging employees towards active forms of travel like cycling, walking and car sharing and looking to low carbon logistics and transportation of goods using pedal power.

In the ‘Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy’ the NHS has committed that by 2033, staff travel emissions will be reduced by 50 per cent through shifts to more sustainable forms of travel and electrification of personal vehicles. From 2030, all new ambulances will be zero emission vehicles and from 2040, all owned, leased and commissioned vehicles will be zero emission.

Services available on the new framework include the design and build of car parks incorporating solar panels to generate and store electricity; sustainable transport consultancy services; bike hire & repair, low carbon logistics and electric vehicle charging solutions, to name a few.

Anjub Ali, Senior Construction Specialist at NHS SBS commented: “The NHS has set out ambitious goals en route to Net Zero 2040. Our framework agreement provides all NHS organisations with a convenient and compliant way of purchasing a wide range of sustainable transport services and infrastructure to help it get there.
 
“We have worked with NHS Sustainability, Estates and Procurement colleagues in designing this framework, and aligned it to fulfil the common themes which have emerged from NHS Trusts’ Green Travel plans, so it includes a range of suppliers providing transport and infrastructure-related services to support the NHS on its journey."