In 2014 Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust developed Care Without Carbon (CWC), with the aim of ensuring that we can continue to deliver high quality patient care in the context of climate change.
CWC is designed to drive sustainability into day-to-day activity within the NHS and deliver against ambitious Greener NHS targets for Net Zero, climate adaptation and biodiversity.
Care Without Carbon framework
With 80% of our carbon footprint determined by clinical decisions, to hit Net Zero, we must change the ways we deliver care.
Our Care Without Carbon framework is focussed on integrating sustainability into day-to-day decision making within the NHS.
Our three aims are:
01 Reducing environmental impact
02 Improving wellbeing
03 Investing in the future
We achieve these through our Sustainable Healthcare Principles
These principles support both the urgently needed reduction in our carbon footprint and the delivery of high-quality care for our communities. They are based on principles of sustainable clinical practice originally developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and they aim to tackle climate change on two fronts:
- First, by optimising our level of activity/resource use by helping people to stay well, and by making our processes as efficient as possible; and
- Second, by reducing the carbon intensity of the care we do need to provide.
Healthier lives
Streamlined processes and pathways
Respecting resources
We have 8 workstreams called elements
Our Care Without Carbon programmes are delivered through eight elements, reflecting the key areas of work required.
Partnership and collaboration
Climate adaptation
Wellbeing
Culture
Places
Journeys
Circular economy
Evolving care
Sussex Community - the home of Care Without Carbon
Care Without Carbon originated at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. Our Green Plan 2021 sets out how we turn strategy into action.
Read the Exec SummaryCare Without Carbon across Sussex, Surrey and beyond - a common framework for change
Over the years we've developed partnerships with other NHS trusts and organisations across Sussex, Surrey and beyond, supporting and delivering sustainability programmes and projects. This has enabled us to share learning and develop specialist expertise, deliver joint projects and use our influence together to effect greater change.
The CWC framework now forms the basis of our approach to deliver a greener NHS in Sussex, shaping NHS strategies at ICS and trust level to take us to Net Zero Carbon by 2040.
You can find all the Green Plan's across Sussex and beyond below, most of which are based on the Care Without Carbon framework.
Find out more about our partnership working
Our partnerships are key to our success in Sussex, Surrey and beyond - find out more about how to get involved.
Discover more