The Albion Surgery is delighted to be signed up to the Green Impact for Health Toolkit and is actively taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. The climate emergency is also a health emergency, and health care in the UK contributes 4-5% of the UK's carbon emissions. We need to enhance the health of today’s population without compromising the health of future generations, and this means operating within the sustainable boundaries of the planet. Fortunately, most of the solutions for the planet also make our health better - for example increasing the plant-based proportion of our diet, engaging in active travel and exercise in nature, avoiding smoking, reducing pollution etc. These activities all enhance our health and reduce our need for medications, with further benefits to the NHS, your health and the carbon footprint of healthcare. Take a look at the Greener Practice website to learn more about this.
See also Summary of Primary Care Net Zero and Climate Emergency Work by Integrated Care Boards in England 2024.