IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i18p8375-d1752443.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decarbonizing the Healthcare Estate: Lessons Learned from NHS Trust Green Plans in England

Author

Listed:
  • Federica Pascale

    (Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering andthe Built Environment, Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK)

  • Petar Tabakov

    (Global Health and Infection Department, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Medical School Teaching Building, Falmer BN1 9PX, UK)

  • Mahmood F. Bhutta

    (Global Health and Infection Department, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Medical School Teaching Building, Falmer BN1 9PX, UK
    Department of ENT, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK)

Abstract

Climate change threatens human health and healthcare systems while also contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. NHS England has addressed this with the Health and Care Act 2022, which mandates NHS trusts to develop green plans for emission reduction from 2022 to 2025. This initiative presents an opportunity to assess national scale efforts to decarbonize the healthcare sector. The paper identifies the interventions NHS trusts are adopting to decarbonize their estates and meet national net-zero targets while also highlighting opportunities for further progress. A thematic content analysis was conducted on green plans developed by NHS trusts in England to outline their strategies to decarbonize the estate. The main elements the NHS trusts have considered in terms of reaching net zero through built asset management; implementing heat decarbonization; and switching to renewable and low-carbon sources of energy. The analysis has recognized a strategic shift towards decarbonizing the healthcare estate by prioritizing the maintenance, refurbishment, and repurposing of existing buildings over new construction, coupled with a heat decarbonization strategy focusing on the transition to low-carbon technologies. Most long-term decarbonization strategies, particularly for achieving net zero through built asset management, are still in the early stages. There is a lack of comparable KPIs for monitoring progress and insufficient information on essential passive strategies. NHS in England should adopt a more integrated approach to decarbonization including both active and passive interventions, improve the standardization of performance metrics, and establish SMART objectives and standardized KPIs to effectively monitor trusts’ progress towards net-zero emissions in future green plans.

Suggested Citation

  • Federica Pascale & Petar Tabakov & Mahmood F. Bhutta, 2025. "Decarbonizing the Healthcare Estate: Lessons Learned from NHS Trust Green Plans in England," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8375-:d:1752443
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8375/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8375/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Tao & Li, Xiaodong & Liao, Pin-Chao & Fang, Dongping, 2016. "Building energy efficiency for public hospitals and healthcare facilities in China: Barriers and drivers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 588-597.
    2. Paraskevi N. Zaza & Anastasios Sepetis & Pantelis G. Bagos, 2022. "Prediction and Optimization of the Cost of Energy Resources in Greek Public Hospitals," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Alfonso Marino & Paolo Pariso, 2023. "Digital innovation government: organizational and energy analysis in Italian hospitals," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 10(3), pages 214-230, March.
    4. Lemence, Allen Lemuel G. & Tamayao, Mili-Ann M., 2021. "Energy consumption profile estimation and benefits of hybrid solar energy system adoption for rural health units in the Philippines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 651-668.
    5. Domenico Bevere & Nicola Faccilongo, 2024. "Shaping the Future of Healthcare: Integrating Ecology and Digital Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-20, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jihwan Yeon & Seoki Lee & Phillip M Jolly & Anna S Mattila, 2023. "The impact of environmental management on firm performance in the U.S. lodging REITs: The moderating role of outside board of directors," Tourism Economics, , vol. 29(2), pages 513-532, March.
    2. Jing-Yan Ma & Tae-Won Kang, 2025. "The Impact of Digital Technology Characteristics on Operational Decision Optimization: The Mediating Role of Information System Agility in Healthcare Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-26, September.
    3. Maria Psillaki & Nikolaos Apostolopoulos & Ilias Makris & Panagiotis Liargovas & Sotiris Apostolopoulos & Panos Dimitrakopoulos & George Sklias, 2023. "Hospitals’ Energy Efficiency in the Perspective of Saving Resources and Providing Quality Services through Technological Options: A Systematic Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Vanesa Jiménez-Lacarra & Eduardo Martínez-Cámara & Juan Carlos Sáenz-Diez Muro & Emilio Jiménez-Macías & Julio Blanco-Fernández, 2024. "Environmental Benefits of Reducing Patient Mobility and Hospitalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Dana-Gabriela Simion Ludușanu & Daniela-Ionela Fertu & Grigore Tinică & Maria Gavrilescu, 2025. "Integrated Quality and Environmental Management in Healthcare: Impacts, Implementation, and Future Directions Toward Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-46, June.
    6. Anastasios SEPETIS, 2024. "The Implementation Of Social Protection Policies At Local Level According To Inclusive And Sustainable Development," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(2), pages 111-130, June.
    7. Li, Jinze & Liu, Pei & Zhang, Guosheng & Liu, He, 2025. "Optimal planning and feasibility analysis of a grid-connected PV-biomass hybrid renewable energy system for rural electrification with electric vehicles: A case study of Hainan, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    8. Yadav, Subhash & Kumar, Pradeep & Kumar, Ashwani, 2025. "Hybrid renewable energy systems design and techno-economic analysis for isolated rural microgrid using HOMER," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    9. Rosa Francesca De Masi & Nicoletta Del Regno & Antonio Gigante & Silvia Ruggiero & Alessandro Russo & Francesco Tariello & Giuseppe Peter Vanoli, 2023. "The Importance of Investing in the Energy Refurbishment of Hospitals: Results of a Case Study in a Mediterranean Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-20, July.
    10. Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Fan, Yee Van & Jiang, Peng, 2020. "The energy and environmental footprints of COVID-19 fighting measures – PPE, disinfection, supply chains," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    11. Atienza-Márquez, Antonio & Domínguez Muñoz, Fernando & Fernández Hernández, Francisco & Cejudo López, José Manuel, 2022. "Domestic hot water production system in a hospital: Energy audit and evaluation of measures to boost the solar contribution," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PB).
    12. Lanre Olatomiwa & Ahmad A. Sadiq & Omowunmi Mary Longe & James G. Ambafi & Kufre Esenowo Jack & Toyeeb Adekunle Abd'azeez & Samuel Adeniyi, 2022. "An Overview of Energy Access Solutions for Rural Healthcare Facilities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-23, December.
    13. Jun Dong & Huijuan Huo, 2017. "Identification of Financing Barriers to Energy Efficiency in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises by Integrating the Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL Approaches," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-26, August.
    14. Chro Hama Radha, 2023. "Retrofitting for Improving Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in the Hospital Building," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    15. Esteban A. Soto & Andrea Hernandez-Guzman & Alexander Vizcarrondo-Ortega & Amaya McNealey & Lisa B. Bosman, 2022. "Solar Energy Implementation for Health-Care Facilities in Developing and Underdeveloped Countries: Overview, Opportunities, and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-17, November.
    16. Francesco Calise & Francesco Liberato Cappiello & Luca Cimmino & Massimo Dentice d’Accadia & Maria Vicidomini, 2024. "A Novel Layout for Combined Heat and Power Production for a Hospital Based on a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-21, February.
    17. Alex Felice & Jacopo Barbieri & Ander Martinez Alonso & Maarten Messagie & Thierry Coosemans, 2023. "Challenges of Phasing out Emergency Diesel Generators: The Case Study of Lacor Hospital’s Energy Community," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-15, January.
    18. Ibrahim Alkish & Kolawole Iyiola & Ahmad Bassam Alzubi & Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani, 2025. "Does Digitization Lead to Sustainable Economic Behavior? Investigating the Roles of Employee Well-Being and Learning Orientation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-29, May.
    19. Cappiello, Francesco L., 2024. "Energy and economic analysis of energy efficiency actions in surgery rooms: A dynamic analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 373(C).
    20. Tamjid Shabestari, Sara & Kasaeian, Alibakhsh & Vaziri Rad, Mohammad Amin & Forootan Fard, Habib & Yan, Wei-Mon & Pourfayaz, Fathollah, 2022. "Techno-financial evaluation of a hybrid renewable solution for supplying the predicted power outages by machine learning methods in rural areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 1303-1325.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8375-:d:1752443. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.