Helping NHS trust hospitals reach a carbon-free future
With the climate crisis increasing in urgency, we’re pleased to be helping University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS foundation trust hit their carbon reduction goals.
By providing renewable source electricity – backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) and independently certified by EcoAct – we’re able to provide UCLH with a route to less carbon-intensive operations.
UCL Hospitals’ aims
Being one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, with over 10,000 staff and seeing over 1.5m patients a year, UCLH is committed to making its critical medical care operations sustainable.
Partnering with Drax in 2020, they launched their Green Plan and followed it up in 2021 with a ten-point plan to combat the climate and health crises the nation faces.
“Drax offered us renewable source electricity at an attractive price. We wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and wean ourselves off fossil fuels. We’re doing that quite successfully with electricity. Our energy use is just one area where we’re reducing our impact.”
George Gebski, Head of Sustainability, UCLH
UCLH have set a target to reach net-zero by 2031 with their ten-point plan. By securing renewable energy from Drax, they’ll be able to report zero carbon emissions under Scope 2 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, with help from their dedicated Drax Account Manager.
Over the course of their contract, this will save an estimated 43,000 tonnes of carbon emissions versus the grid average. As the trust falls within the London Borough of Camden, these steps will bring them closer to aligning with the council’s 2030 target date.
“By choosing Drax, UCLH can report its emissions as zero under Scope 2 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol. This is just one of the ways that the Trust is tackling its environmental footprint, and we’re proud to support its sustainability journey.”
Paul Miller, Sales Director, Drax
Working with a decarbonisation partner
Partnering with Drax has helped UCLH to identify and reduce carbon emissions within its operations. LED lighting and solar panels reduced energy consumption while providing them with a direct renewable power source. Switching to using recycled paper while reducing the amount of printing resulted in a further saving of approximately 11 tonnes of CO2.
Meanwhile, a 20% clinical waste reduction was achieved with proper sorting. Increased recycling and diverting waste from landfill mean more reductions are on the horizon.
Download the full case study below.
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