Sustainable transport and infrastructure framework launches to help drive NHS’ journey to net zero

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

The procurement framework agreement provides the NHS with a simple way to find and appoint the services of fully vetted providers quickly and compliantly.

The NHS accounts for four per cent of the nation’s total carbon footprint, and according to NHS England, emissions from travel and transport account for 14 per cent of its overall carbon footprint. This includes four per cent for business travel and fleet transport, five per cent for patient travel, four per cent for staff commutes and one per cent for visitor travel.

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, are some of the interventions the NHS is putting in place to meet its sustainable transport objectives.

In its ‘Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy’ the NHS has said that come 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.

However, to get there, NHS Trusts will need to have the necessary infrastructure in place.

Bicycles, for instance, will need cycle parking facilities, built with materials that are climate friendly. Electric vehicles (and e-bikes) will require power charging infrastructure, and the means to tap into renewable energy like solar, to store and generate the power to fuel them.

Services the NHS can access via NHS SBS’s new framework agreement 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.”