Annual Report and Accounts 2012/13 - Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital

2. Our Trust Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 51
Annual Report and Accounts 2012/13
Sustainability Report
The Trust is committed to becoming a low carbon
sustainable organisation.
The regulatory and legislative
requirements for the NHS to reduce
carbon emissions and to adapt to
climate change are taken seriously
by the Trust. The Government is
clear that carbon reduction needs to
be systematically implemented and
more transparently reported. The
Department of Health has produced a
framework for the NHS for reporting
sustainability as part of the annual
NHS financial reporting process.
Sustainability information from waste
production to energy consumption is
also gathered and reported through
the mandatory Estates Return
Information Collection (ERIC).
The Trust has a Sustainability
Committee which meets periodically
and sets the overall agenda for the
Trust’s sustainability strategy. The
Trust also has a Sustainability Steering
Group, the objectives of which are
to promote the Trust’s sustainable
development framework within which
carbon emissions will be reduced.
This group meets on a monthly basis
and reports to the Sustainability
Committee. In 2010, an action plan
covering key sustainability areas of the
Trust’s business was set out. The Trust’s
carbon reduction strategy sets out
proposals for sustainable development
to bring about measurable
improvements aimed at ensuring its
economic, social and environmental
sustainability. The Trust has consulted
with its Members on sustainability and
its social responsibilities.
The Board of Directors approved the
Carbon Reduction Strategy at the
September 2009 Board meeting and
have continued to receive updates on
progress.
Carbon Emissions
The Trust aims to meet the NHS target
of reducing its 2007 baseline carbon
emissions, released through building
energy consumption, by 10%, before
2015. In 2010 the NHS Sustainable
Development Unit published an
update supplement to the NHS Carbon
Reduction Strategy highlighting that
in 2007 the carbon footprint for
NHS England was 21 million tonnes.
This is broken down by proportion
in the three primary sectors of travel
(17%), building energy (24%) and
procurement (59%).
In April 2011, the Trust had its carbon
emissions independently verified to the
recognised EU standard and may now
use the CICS (Complete Integrated
Certification Services) Carbon Verified
Assurance Mark. The RD&E now joins
only 37 Trusts in England, including
five other Trusts in the South and West,
which have received the Assurance
Mark.
It is important to note that previous
Annual Reports may contain different
information regarding carbon emissions;
this is because the Trust has previously
used different emissions factors for
calculating carbon dioxide equivalents
(CO2e). This year the Trust is using
the methodology required by the NHS
Sustainable Development Unit.
The Trust closely monitors its
production of greenhouse gases from
the sources described below. The
Trust complies with the following
legal instruments designed to improve
energy and carbon efficiency:
• Carbon Reduction Commitment
(CRC)
• European Union Emissions Trading
Scheme* (EUETS)
• Climate Change Levy (CCL).
*This year the Trust has 'opted out'
of the EUETS scheme. This does not
mean that it has absolved itself of
responsibilities. The Trust is now part
of the 'UK Small Emitters and Hospitals
Opt Out Scheme'. Reporting energy
usage and a financial cost to carbon
still apply, but the scheme is simplified
to make it less burdensome than the
full EUETS.
The responsibilities required under
legal obligations include:
• Senior management accountability
• Monitoring and reporting energy
usage
• Paying for energy use and carbon
emissions.