University to Support Carbon Emissions Reduction in UK Healthcare

A new UK-wide initiative, led by Glasgow Caledonian University, will focus on finding innovative ways to help the NHS significantly reduce its carbon footprint. This effort is backed by a £6.5 million funding grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The funding will support the establishment of a new hub dedicated to health and social care pathways, bringing together universities and healthcare partners from across the UK. The primary goal of the hub is to assist the NHS in becoming environmentally sustainable and meeting its legal commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

While the NHS has already made significant strides in reducing its carbon footprint, with emissions under its direct control on track for an 80% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030, other emissions, including those from travel, waste, and the production of drugs, medical devices, and supplies, have been rising.

Glasgow Caledonian University, under the leadership of Dr. Karin Helwig from the School of Computing, Engineering, and Built Environment, will receive £302,000 as part of the hub's work. Their focus will be on tackling pharmaceutical pollution by exploring alternative mental health treatments, such as social prescribing (non-medical interventions). The team will employ Life Cycle Assessment and environmental risk methodologies to evaluate these alternatives, building on previous research into sustainable, patient-centered care.

Dr. Helwig shared, “Healthcare accounts for about 4-5% of the UK’s carbon emissions. Our research, including work done by Glasgow Caledonian’s first Hydro Nation Scholar, Julze Alejandre, has examined the potential of social prescribing to reduce pharmaceutical pollution. We are excited to extend this research as part of a UK-wide effort.”

Julze Alejandre has been developing Scotland’s first ‘blue-green’ prescribing program, which combines nature-based health interventions, such as kayaking or swimming, with environmentally conscious prescribing practices. This approach aims to reduce pharmaceutical pollution while addressing mental health conditions. His work has already garnered support from the Scottish Government and NHS Highland and has led to policy recommendations for sustainable prescribing practices in Scotland.

Project lead Ed Wilson, Professor of Health Economics and Health Policy at the University of Exeter, expressed enthusiasm about the new funding. He said, “This funding recognises our strong partnerships with the NHS and our dedication to a greener, fairer, and healthier society. We will examine the patient’s journey through the NHS and social care, identifying carbon hotspots and exploring ways to make them carbon neutral. This effort goes beyond reducing travel and waste—it’s about helping the NHS’s suppliers redesign their processes to lower carbon emissions.”

Key collaborators in this project include the University of Exeter, NHS Highland, the Institute of Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Aberdeen, and healthcare organisations such as the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland and NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time program.