Sustainability Statement
Business sustainability is the consideration and management of environmental, social, and financial factors to ensure responsible, ethical, and ongoing organisational success.
Vita Health Group recognises sustainability as a business approach that will contribute to creating long-term value and positive impact for our service users, customers, colleagues, and the wider society.
As part of our mission of “Making People Better”, our delivery of high-quality patient-focused healthcare services will be underpinned by using all our resources sustainably. Legal requirements create a framework for this activity; however, Vita Health Group is committed to going further than only having a compliance focus, as we will strive for continuous improvement beyond this.
Sustainability is an integral part of our operations, including our planning processes, and it will remain that way to maximise the longevity of our organisation and the reach of its impact. We will demonstrate our sustainable practices to provide assurance to our stakeholders and to hold ourselves to account.
Carbon reduction plan
Commitment to achieving Net Zero
Vita Health Group is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, in-line with the UK Government’s amended Climate Change Act (2008). In 2019 a target of at least a 100% reduction in the net UK carbon account was introduced.
As a healthcare provider our commitments are also informed by the Greener NHS Campaign and ambitions outlined in the Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report (2020).
Baseline Emissions Footprint
Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.
| Baseline Year: n/a | |
| Additional Details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations. | |
| Due to the nature of our service provision and premises arrangements it has not been practical to obtain a meaningful baseline measure. Vita Health Group is committed to obtaining this data by [01/10/2022] | |
| Baseline year emissions: | |
| Emissions | TOTAL (tCO2e) – no data available |
| Scope 1 | |
| Scope 2 | |
| Scope 3 | |
| Total Emissions | |
Current Emissions Reporting
| Reporting Year: 2022 | |
| Baseline year emissions: n/a | |
| Emissions | TOTAL (tCO2e) – no data available |
| Scope 1 | |
| Scope 2 | |
| Scope 3 | |
| Total Emissions | |
| Comments | Due to the nature of our service provision and premises arrangements it has not yet been practical to obtain a meaningful current emissions measure. Vita Health Group is committed to obtaining this data by [01/10/2022] |
Emissions reduction targets
As it has not yet been practical to obtain baseline or current emissions measure, we are unable to provide detailed reduction targets. Once accurate measures are in place, we will adopt several carbon reductions targets to guide our progress to achieving Net Zero.
Key target milestones will be inline with NHS Net Zero Targets:
- For the emissions we control directly, net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032
- For the emissions we can influence, net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2036 to 2039
Carbon Reduction Projects
At this stage we are yet to fully complete any emission reduction projects. However, we have commenced several activities which support our environmental sustainability objectives including:
- Moving 37.5% of properties where we control the energy supplier to a provider which has shifted completely from coal and gas generation to wind power
- Undertaking a wider sustainability evaluation with external sustainability consultants
- Minimising computer waste and utilisation of waste management suppliers who undertake carbon offsetting activities
- Evaluating staff sustainability behaviours through survey activities
- Made electric vehicle leasing available through salary sacrifice schemes
- Initiated a project to develop accredited carbon literacy training to be delivered across the business.
Due to the noted practicality challenges with measuring emissions across the business we are unable to quantify the reduction achieved by these schemes. In the future we hope to implement further measures as outlined below.
Reduction of emissions from our estates where feasible by:
- Scaling back the physical footprint of our services facilitated via increasing remote service delivery
- Improving building insulation and use of energy efficient lighting and heating systems
- Committing to move to sustainable suppliers where feasible
- Ensuring services are clinically effective to reduce number of service-user visits where appropriate
Reduction of emissions related to travel where feasible by:
- Prioritising ill health prevention to reduce the need to access services
- Minimise emitting vehicle usage where feasible
- Redesign of care pathways to maximise utilisation of remote services
- Promoting oactive and sustainable travel by staff and service-users
- Reducing barriers for staff to procure electric vehicles.
Reduction of supply chain emissions where feasible by:
- Actively challenging suppliers on their carbon emission reduction planning
- Reducing or eliminating the use of single use plastics within our services.
Increasing staff competency around carbon literacy and engagement with carbon reduction agenda by:
- Providing access to appropriately accredited training
- Communicating carbon reduction plans appropriately
- Providing appropriate resource and opportunity for staff to collaborate on carbon reduction interventions
- Considering offsetting mechanisms
- Implementing robust monitoring
Declaration and Sign Off
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans. Emissions have yet to been reported, but will be by [01/10/2022] and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions will be reported in accordance with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions will be reported in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard when the required data is available.
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the Vita Health Group Sustainability Working Group.
Date: 28/03/2022
Review
This plan will be reviewed by [01/10/2022].
Vita is an award-winning, CQC registered healthcare provider
