Corporate services provider NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched a new framework agreement to support the NHS in lowering its carbon output and achieve its 2040 carbon net zero emissions ambition.

The new framework can help NHS Trusts switch to sustainable transport; from solutions for low-carbon logistics to electric vehicle charging solutions including grid upgrades

The ‘Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure’ agreement enables the NHS to appoint the services of fully vetted providers quickly and compliantly on its emissions reduction journey.

The NHS accounts for 4% of the nation’s total carbon footprint, and according to NHS England, emissions from travel and transport account for 14% of its overall carbon footprint. This includes 4% for business travel and fleet transport, 5% for patient travel, 4% for staff commutes and 1% for visitor travel.

NHS England, which says it has the second largest fleet in the country, published its ‘Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy’ this autumn. The 25-page document outlines how the fleet, which consists of over 20,000 vehicles travelling over 460,000,000 miles every year, will go net zero.

It sets out that by 2033, staff travel emissions will be reduced by 50% through shifts to more sustainable forms of travel and electrification of personal vehicles. From 2030, all new ambulances will be zero emission vehicles. From 2040, all owned, leased and commissioned vehicles will be zero emission.

However, to get there, NHS Trusts will need to have the necessary infrastructure in place and this is where the new framework can help, from solutions for low-carbon logistics to electric vehicle charging solutions including grid upgrades.

Services the NHS can access via NHS SBS’s new framework agreement include the design and build of car parks incorporating solar panels to generate and store electricity; sustainable transport consultancy services; bike hire & repair, low carbon logistics and electric vehicle charging solutions, to name a few.

Anjub Ali, senior construction specialist at NHS SBS, commented: “The NHS has set out ambitious goals en route to net zero 2040. Our framework agreement provides all NHS organisations with a convenient and compliant way of purchasing a wide range of sustainable transport services and infrastructure to help it get there.

“We have worked with NHS Sustainability, Estates and Procurement colleagues in designing this framework, and aligned it to fulfil the common themes which have emerged from NHS Trusts’ Green Travel plans, so it includes a range of suppliers providing transport and infrastructure-related services to support the NHS on its journey.”

The NHS SBS Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure framework agreement is available here.