1. Towards a Sustainable Health and Social Care Sector
Presenter name

2. Sustainable development
...meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of others, in future (or elsewhere now) to meet their own needs, to live a life of comparable quality and value.
... the requirement that the next generation must be left with whatever it takes to achieve a standard of living at least as good as our own and to look after their next generation similarly.
- Adapted from the Brundtland Commission, Amartya Sen, and Robert Solow.
You may have heard of the terms “sustainability”, “green”, “environmental”, “responsible”, “Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR”, “Corporate Sustainability and Inclusion – CS&I”, “Corporate Responsibility – CR”, or “Sustainable Development”. These are terms with slightly different meanings but often interchangeably used to describe Sustainable Development. This slide provides a definition for sustainable development. 2

3. OK, but what does it really mean?
Environment
Economy
Society
Sustainability
The Triple Bottom Line
In practical terms, sustainable development lies in the intersection of environmental, social and economic spheres of influence. Sustainable decisions are those that are environmentally and socially sound and at the same time economically viable.

4. In its 2005 Sustainable Development Strategy, the UK Government defined sustainable development as development that allows us to live within environmental limits, ensure a strong and just society, achieve a sustainable economy, promote good governance and use sound science responsibly.

5. Question Crisps – which of the two is the most sustainable option?
The group was presented with two packets of ready salted crisps and asked to debate which one presents the most sustainable choice. The winner received a box of maltesers!

6. Why do it? Resources: Use resources wisely and well
Financial: Save money
Quality outcomes and safety: Generate health benefits (vested interest) as well as other advantages in both the short and long term
Enhanced reputation: Be part of the pack; avoid reputational risk (huge purchasing power which requires local accountability and leadership)
Increased resilience: Adapt to a changing environment
Legal compliance/Policy framework: Comply; there is a legal duty to cut carbon emissions under the 2008 Climate Change Act
It’s a very important strategy
for the NHS
- it is really good for the environment,
- it's good for our society,
- it's good for our staff and, for us
most importantly
- it's good for our patients”
There are many reasons why organisations should embark on the sustainability journey. The Health sector, in particular, has a vested interest in making sustainable choices as it serves clients (i.e. patients) who are likely to be negatively affected by a changing environment.

7. Policy drivers Creation of SDU
Health and Social Care carbon footprint (2008/12)
NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy (2009)
Stern Review (2006)
Climate Change Act (2008)
Government Buying Standards (2010)
Ethical Procurement for Health (2011)
Public Services (Social Value) Act (2012)
EU Directive on Public Procurement (2014)
These are some of the drivers for acting on sustainable development.
NHS Standard Contract SD requirements (2014/2015)
National Adaptation Programme – Health Sector Report on Adaptation (2015)

8. Sustainable Development Strategy
A modular approach
Leadership, engagement and workforce development
Sustainable clinical and care models
Healthy, sustainable and resilient communities
Carbon hotspots  
Commissioning and procurement
The SDS, published earlier in the year, set a high level vision and goals and is supported by a number of modules that focus on specific areas. This is to allow locally determined priorities to be set.
Modules:
Leadership, engagement and development:
A strong focus on encouraging a culture that understands and values environmental and social resources, through engagement at all levels.
Sustainable clinical and care models:
To deliver better health and wellbeing – enhancing integrated approaches to care.
Health, sustainable and resilient communities:
People that are part of strong and healthy communities are better placed to mitigate and adapt to environmental changes
Carbon hotspots:
Target activity on high carbon impact areas – hotspots – to achieve significant reductions
Commissioning and procurement:
Levers to influence change – using procurement to drive sustainability improvements. Split into services and products
Further modules currently in development:
Innovation, Metrics, Social Value

9. Our Vision and Goals Goal 1 – A healthier environment
Vision – A sustainable system protects and improves health within environmental and social resources now and for the future
Goal 1 – A healthier environment
Goal 2 – Communities and services are resilient to changing times and climates
The Vision and Goals set by the Health and Care system in the Sustainable Development Strategy
Goal 3 – Every opportunity contributes to healthy lives, communities and environments

10. Our Expectations
The SDU coordinated the development of the Sustainable Development Strategy and administers its implementation. As part of that, the SDU expects responsible Health and Care organisations to deliver across these 4 pillars.

11. Let’s talk about Carbon…
Mitigation
Avoiding the unmanageable
Adaptation
Managing the unavoidable
Focus on actions that deliver both
The difference between climate change mitigation (i.e. reducing the amount of carbon that we emit which goes in the atmosphere and has negative consequences for our planet’s climate) and climate change adaptation (i.e. accepting that a degree of climate change will take place due to increased carbon in the atmosphere and planning for adapting to those climatic changes)./

12. Question
Which part of the business do you think is the biggest carbon contributor towards the NHS, Health and Care sector?
Ask yourselves which aspect of the Health and Care sector’s operations i.e. energy usage, heating of offices and hospitals, paper usage, waste incineration, procurement of goods and services etc is the biggest contributor towards the System’s total carbon emissions. The next slide gives out the answer.

13. The answer is Procurement of Good and Services!

14. What about Social Value?
Social value describes the wider social benefits achieved from high quality public service
Statutory requirement for public authorities to have regard to economic, social and environmental wellbeing in connection with public service contracts (Social Value Act, 2012)

15. What can you do? Manage your own impacts – use less, waste less
Influence decision making in your own areas of work
Buy sustainably

16. Commissioning and Procurement
Sustainable Procurement is a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.
Energy saving
Medicines
GPP/GBS
Integrate into procurement strategies
Select appropriate delivery partners
Terms and conditions of contract
Challenge the status quo –
think innovatively

17. What next? SDMP Awareness raising/capacity building
Pick the “low hanging fruit”
Procurement
Commissioning
Monitor and improve

18. Thank you! Eleni Pasdeki-Clewer Technical Expert SDU