Our Alder Hey in the Park campus is now progressing as a catalyst for improving the health and well-being of our children, young people, families, staff, and surrounding communities.
We remain committed to ‘being green’, placing sustainability at the heart of everything we do, with our Green Plan now developed and actively being implemented across the Trust.
Through this Plan, we are playing our part in tackling climate change by delivering actions to reduce our carbon footprint, expand greener travel options, and minimise waste. We are maintaining a strong clinical focus on quality of life, supporting initiatives around air pollution and contributing to the city’s Public Health agenda, ensuring our children, young people, families, and staff have every opportunity to make healthier choices and achieve the best outcomes in life.
Following Board approval, implementation of the Alder Hey Green Plan is now well underway, with priority workstreams progressing across travel, waste (with a particular focus on clinical waste), energy, and procurement. A clinically led Green Steering Group is in place to oversee delivery, ensuring that health, science, and health inequalities remain central to our approach.
As implementation continues, we will further develop and refine our Plan in line with NHS net zero ambitions, embedding a sustainable, green culture into every aspect of our work
Foreword from John Grinnell
Climate change is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Its effects are already being felt by children and young people worldwide, with rising rates of asthma, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, and the worsening social determinants of health. As a leading children’s hospital, Alder Hey has a duty to protect the health of young people not only today, but for generations to come.
We therefore embrace our responsibility to take bold, evidence-based action. Delivering world-class paediatric care must go hand-in-hand with protecting the planet that children will inherit. Our Green Plan sets out how we will play our part in achieving the NHS’s Net Zero commitments:
Net Zero for our NHS Carbon Footprint by 2040, and
Net Zero for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus by 2045.
Alder Hey has already demonstrated strong leadership in sustainability. We were the first UK children’s hospital built within a park, embedding nature, wellbeing and climate adaptation into our estate from the start. We have delivered major energy-efficiency improvements, reduced waste, transformed clinical practices such as anaesthetic gas reductions, and expanded digital transformation to reduce unnecessary travel.
But there is much more to do. This refreshed Green Plan for 2025–2028 sets out our route forward—practical, measurable actions across estates, care pathways, workforce development, supply chain, travel, biodiversity, food, and digital transformation.
Sustainability is not a separate programme; it is an essential part of delivering high-quality, safe, equitable care. I am proud of the commitment shown by our staff, partners, volunteers, and community. Together, we will continue to lead, innovate, and inspire—ensuring a healthier, happier, fairer and greener future for every child.
John Grinnell
Chief Executive Officer
Foreword from Adam Bateman
At Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, we are committed to delivering outstanding care for children and young people — today and for generations to come. Protecting health means protecting the environment on which health depends. Climate change and air pollution present significant risks to children’s wellbeing, and as an NHS organisation we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead meaningful action.
As the Trust’s Board-level lead for sustainability, I am proud to support the delivery of our Green Plan 2025–2028. This plan sets out how we will contribute to the NHS ambition to reach Net Zero for our direct carbon footprint by 2040 and our wider carbon footprint by 2045, while continuing to provide safe, high-quality and equitable care. It builds on the progress we have already made — reducing emissions from our estate, embedding sustainable clinical practice, and strengthening a culture of sustainability across our workforce.
Sustainability is fundamental to good governance, operational resilience, and responsible financial stewardship. The actions set out in this plan will help us reduce carbon, minimise waste, strengthen resilience, and deliver efficiencies that can be reinvested directly into patient care. Achieving our ambitions will require collaboration across the Trust and with our partners, suppliers, and local communities, and I would like to thank colleagues and teams who are already driving this work forward.
This Green Plan represents an important step in embedding sustainability as business as usual at Alder Hey. By working together, we can reduce our environmental impact, strengthen the resilience of our services, and help create a healthier, happier and fairer future for the children and families we serve.
Adam Bateman
Chief Operating Officer & Board-level Lead for Sustainability
National and local climate context
Climate change is a global health emergency. UK legislation requires Net Zero by 2050. The NHS is responsible for around 5% of the UK’s total carbon emissions—about 27 million tonnes each year. While this makes us part of the problem, it also means we can be a major part of the solution.
NHS net zero targets
In 2020, the NHS became the first health system in the world to commit to reaching Net Zero. The Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report set two clear targets:
Net Zero by 2040 for the emissions we directly control (NHS Carbon Footprint), with an ambition of reaching an 80% reduction between 2028 and 2032.
Net Zero by 2045 for the emissions we can influence (NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), with an ambition of reaching an 80% reduction between 2036 and 2039.
These national commitments provide the framework for Alder Hey’s own Green Plan and sustainability ambitions.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/a-net-zero-nhs
Cheshire & Merseyside ICS context
We collaborate with:
- Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care System (ICS)
- University Hospitals of Liverpool Group
- Local authorities, universities, VCSE partners
Alder Hey’s unique park environment supports recovery and biodiversity. This plan strengthens our role as an anchor institution supporting green jobs, skills, education and community resilience.
The ICS has sustainability as a core strategic priority, with commitments to:
- Reduce health inequalities
- Enhance air quality
- Improve active travel networks
- Build resilience to climate change
- Support Net Zero across all member trusts
https://www.cheshireandmerseysidepartnership.org/ics-development
Liverpool City Region climate priorities
Liverpool City Region
Local priorities include:
• Improving air quality
• Reducing traffic emissions
• Increasing green space accessibility
• Encouraging active travel
• Supporting local climate adaptation
• Alder Hey’s Green Plan supports and accelerates these regional ambitions.
https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/pathway-to-net-zero
Governance, oversight and corporate approach
Sustainability governance structure
Strong governance is essential for delivering sustainability.
Board-Level accountability
Strong governance is essential for delivering sustainability.
- CEO accountable for delivery
- COO as Executive Lead for Sustainability and oversees operational delivery
- CFO as Executive Sponsor – Sustainable Finance & Supply Chain
- Non-Executive Director chairs sustainability oversight
Operational delivery groups
- Oversight & Assurance (Board-Facing) – Sustainability Oversight & Assurance Board
- Operational Delivery (Estates, Facilities, Green Delivery) – Sustainability Operations & Delivery Group
- Clinical Sustainability (Clinical Leadership Focus) – Clinical Sustainability Group
- Engagement (Green Champions Network) – Sustainability Engagement & Champions Network
Corporate sustainability commitments
Alder Hey commits to:
- Embedding sustainability into decision-making
- Annual reporting to the Board
- Transparent monitoring and evaluation
- Integrating sustainability into appraisals, training, and business cases
- Reducing carbon emissions across all areas of activity
Frameworks guiding the Green Plan
Aligned to national and NHS frameworks including:
- NHS Green Plan Guidance 2025
- Delivering a Net Zero NHS
- NHS Estates Net Zero Carbon Delivery Plan
- Net Zero Building Standard
- Net Zero Supply Chain Roadmap
- Adverse Weather & Health Plan
- HM Treasury sustainability reporting
- Greener NHS Travel & Transport Strategy
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers
Our journey so far
Progress since the 2022–2025 strategy
Alder Hey has already taken significant and measurable steps towards achieving its Net Zero ambitions. Since publishing our first Green Strategy in 2022, sustainability has become increasingly embedded across governance, workforce, clinical practice, estates, and digital transformation.
- Strengthened sustainability governance with Board‑level leadership, an operational delivery structure, and an active Green Champions network.
- Eliminated desflurane and progressed nitrous oxide reduction work across theatres.
- Improved theatre sustainability through better waste segregation, reduced clinical waste, reusable sterile gowns, and reduced single-use items.
- Delivered LED upgrades, BMS optimisation and energy-efficiency works contributing to reduced energy use and lower carbon emissions.
- Expanded digital workflows (e-prescribing, paper-lite processes) and increased virtual care to reduce travel and paper use.
- Introduced AI-enabled tools and removed legacy systems to improve efficiency and reduce digital resource demands.
- Improved waste management, including enhanced recycling and responsible disposal of electronic equipment.
- Strengthened food sustainability through reduced single-use plastics, better forecasting, and more fresh, healthy menu options.
- Supported greener staff travel through activetravel initiatives and virtual meeting adoption.
Alder Hey's – Our Green Plan (40kB)
Sustainability themes and delivery plans
The Green Plan is organised into ten priority themes, each outlining our ambitions and areas of focus:
Corporate approach
Secure Board-level support and embed sustainability across all Trust activities.
Care models
Develop and deliver efficient, environmentally sustainable healthcare.
Workforce & digital transformation
Create a culture of sustainability, empowering our staff to help achieve Net Zero.
Travel and transport
Reduce emissions from travel by promoting low-carbon transport options and business mileage.
Energy
Improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Waste and water
Reduce waste, increase reuse and recycling, manage unavoidable waste sustainably, and improve water efficiency.
Food, catering and nutrition
Provide healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food choices while reducing food waste across the Trust.
Green spaces and biodiversity
Enhance green spaces to support biodiversity, improve air quality, and capture carbon.
Suppliers and partners
Work with suppliers and partners aligned with our sustainability goals and delivering social value.
Adaptation
Ensure our estate and services are resilient and prepared for the impacts of climate change.
Corporate approach
What we want to do
Keep sustainability visible at the Board level and embedded as a routine consideration in planning, decisions and service development in Alder Hey.
How we’ll do it
- Maintain clear executive roles (COO/CFO) and simple reporting.
- Include sustainability in business cases and procurement considerations.
- Share short updates trust-wide and highlight local wins.
How we’ll measure progress
- Evidence of sustainability in Board/committee papers and business cases.
- Qualitative progress updates and periodic carbon reporting.
Care models (sustainable clinical practice)
What we want to do
Promote lower-carbon clinical practice where safe and appropriate; reduce waste in care pathways; keep anaesthetic gases under review.
How we’ll do it
- Support clinical leads and QI teams to identify opportunities in theatres and pathways.
- Encourage low-flow anaesthesia and continue to reduce nitrous oxide losses.
- Review consumables to reduce unnecessary items and switch to reusable options where safe.
- Maintain desflurane elimination and monitor alternatives.
How we’ll measure progress
- Trends in anaesthetic gas use and wastage (directional reduction).
- Fewer disposables and improved segregation in theatres.
- Number of clinical QI projects with sustainability benefits
Workforce & Green Champions
What we want to do
Encourage, equip and recognise staff who make sustainable choices in their roles.
How we’ll do it
Continue to grow and support Green Champions.
Keep learning simple (micro-learning, quick guides).
Share easy, practical behaviour changes that staff can adopt.
How we’ll measure progress
Engagement with Champions network and staff-led projects.
Uptake of short sustainability learning and comms.
Digital transformation & sustainable IT
What we want to do
Make paper-lite the default and use digital tools to reduce waste and save time.
How we’ll do it
- Expand e-forms, e-consent, digital checklists and digital letters.
- Explore automation and simple analytics to remove duplication.
- Consolidate platforms where appropriate to reduce digital “waste”.
How we’ll measure progress
- Directional reduction in paper use.
Qualitative evidence of time released via automation/digital.
Travel & transport
What we want to do
Support greener travel choices and lower-emission fleet options over time.
How we’ll do it
- Explore EV charging expansions and car-share options.
- Encourage virtual meetings where practical.
- Review staff commuting patterns and barriers.
How we’ll measure progress
- Directional reduction in business mileage.
- Usage of greener travel initiatives and EV points.
NHS England » Net Zero travel and transport strategy
Energy & estates (decarbonisation)
What we want to do
Reduce energy consumption and work towards decarbonising the estate.
How we’ll do it
- Identify further efficiency opportunities (controls, HVAC, set-backs).
- Explore suitable renewable options (e.g., solar) where feasible.
- Ensure refurbishments meet modern sustainability standards.
- Improve sub‑metering and dashboards to inform action.
How we’ll measure progress
- Directional reduction in energy use and associated emissions.
Evidence of completed efficiency upgrades and estate standards applied.
Waste & water
What we want to do
Generate less waste, improve segregation and recycling, and reduce water use where appropriate.
How we’ll do it
- Standardise bins, signage and simple guidance.
- Promote reuse and remanufacture where safe (e.g., textiles, trays).
- Improve data and feedback to clinical areas.
- Identify water-saving opportunities during refurbishments.
How we’ll measure progress
- Directional reduction in clinical waste and improved segregation.
- Increased reuse/circular practice; better audit outcomes.
Food, catering & nutrition
What we want to do
Offer healthy, freshly prepared and sustainable options; reduce food waste.
How we’ll do it
- Increase use of seasonal/local ingredients where feasible.
- Use digital ordering/monitoring to minimise waste.
- Encourage reusable cups/containers where practical.
How we’ll measure progress
- Directional reduction in food waste; menu options maintained or improved.
Green spaces & biodiversity
What we want to do
Enhance green spaces for wellbeing and biodiversity, recognising estate constraints.
How we’ll do it
- Identify small-scale planting and habitat projects within existing spaces.
- Work with partners (local groups, charities) where on-site space is limited.
- Encourage staff-supported micro-projects.
How we’ll measure progress
- Qualitative improvements in green areas and small biodiversity initiatives.
Suppliers & partners (procurement)
What we want to do
Encourage suppliers and partners to align with our sustainability goals.
How we’ll do it
- Include sustainability & social value in procurement considerations.
- Encourage supplier engagement with recognised sustainability assessments.
- Share learning and explore group opportunities with system partners.
How we’ll measure progress
- Evidence of sustainability criteria used in tenders and supplier discussions.
NHS-Net-Zero-Supplier-Roadmap-2024.pdf
Net Zero Supply Chain and Suppliers
Climate change adaptation
What we want to do
Understand climate risks to our services and estate and improve readiness.
How we’ll do it
- Review heat, flood and storm risks and plan proportionate actions.
- Embed adaptation within business continuity and estates works.
- Coordinate with EPRR standards and system partners.
How we’ll measure progress
- Qualitative evidence of resilience improvements and exercises.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/a-net-zero-nhs/adaptation
Enablers
Governance & reporting
Keep reporting lean and meaningful: short dashboards, narrative progress notes and periodic carbon updates to Executive groups and Board.
Funding & finance
Work with Finance to phase investments, pursue external funds where suitable, and use whole-life thinking in cases, balancing affordability with benefits. (Finance owns modelling/assurance).
Communications & engagement
Share simple, positive stories and how-to-tips; support local teams to showcase wins; keep staff informed on small actions that add up.
Data, tools & measurement systems
Use pragmatic data that helps decisions: energy meters, waste audits, simple digital dashboards; avoid burdensome measurement unless it directly supports improvement.
KPIs and performance framework
KPI summary
We will monitor the direction of travel rather than fix many numeric targets:
- Carbon & energy: reduced energy use and associated emissions over time.
- Gases & theatres: reduced nitrous oxide wastage; desflurane elimination maintained; wider adoption of low-flow techniques where appropriate.
- Waste & resources: reduced clinical waste per case; improved segregation; increased reuse/circular practice.
- Digital: reduced paper use; more digital workflows and automation in use.
- Workforce: growing Green Champions and staff engagement in micro-actions/training.
- Food: reduced food waste; continued availability of healthy, sustainable options.
- Travel: reduced business mileage; more use of greener options.
- Adaptation: practical resilience steps completed within estates and EPRR work.
Long-term net zero trajectory
Scope 1 & 2 decarbonisation pathway
We will reduce our energy-related emissions through practical, phased improvements. This includes continued LED upgrades, building optimisation, improved control of heating and ventilation, and ongoing reductions from the decarbonising national grid. Further gains will come from replacing gas-reliant systems with low-carbon electric alternatives, following a clear, modelled pathway showing steady reductions over time.
Renewables, electrification & heat decarbonisation
Over the long term, we will move towards a fully electric, low-carbon estate. This includes expanding on-site solar generation, preparing buildings for low-carbon heat, replacing boilers with heat pumps, and phasing out the CHP system. These actions form the core of our shift away from fossil-fuel heating towards clean, renewable energy.
Scope 3 roadmap & future priorities
Because most NHS emissions sit in Scope 3, we will progressively widen our approach to include procurement, medicines, travel, waste, food, construction and supply chain activity. Our focus will be on embedding sustainability criteria, reducing resource use, strengthening reuse and circular practices, and improving data so that Scope 3 can be fully integrated into future plans.
Monitoring, reporting and evaluation
To ensure delivery, Alder Hey will implement a robust monitoring plan:
Annual reporting
We will publish:
- Carbon footprint updates (Scopes 1, 2, and 3)
- Progress against each of the 10 sustainability themes
- Updates on the Climate Adaptation Plan
- ERIC returns
- NHS England Greener NHS Dashboard data
- Green Plan Progress Dashboard
Governance oversight & dashboards board oversight
- Quarterly sustainability reports
- Annual Board review of Green Plan
Executive leadership
- COO — Executive Lead for Sustainability
Committees
- Sustainability Oversight & Assurance Board
- Clinical Sustainability Group
- Sustainability Operations & Delivery Group
- Green Champions Network
Data tools, audits & modelling
- Greener NHS dashboard
- ERIC reporting
- Emissions modelling
- Sub-metering
- Waste audits
- Travel and commuting surveys
- Supply chain performance reviews
- QI sustainability metrics
Estates Returns Information Collection – NHS England Digital
Risks, dependencies and mitigations
Alder Hey recognises key risks to delivering the Green Plan:
Financial & strategic risks
| Risk | Mitigation |
| Insufficient long-term funding | Multi-year capital planning & external bids |
| Competing operational priorities | Embed sustainability into business-as-usual |
| National supply chain constraints | Work with NHS Supply Chain Sustainable Procurement team |
| Policy changes | Maintain horizon scanning; flexible planning |
| Staff capacity | Training, job planning, Green Champions |
Operational risks
| Risk | Mitigation |
| Equipment failure during heatwaves | Climate Adaptation Plan + EPRR strengthening |
| Inconsistent waste segregation | Staff training, audits, standardised bins |
| Limited EV charging capacity | Staged installation plan |
| Digital adoption challenges | Digital literacy support + blended models |
Reputational risks
| Risk | Mitigation |
| Failure to meet Net Zero deadlines | Annual reporting + proactive correction |
| Suppliers not meeting standards | Evergreen compliance, contract management |
Conclusion
Cleaner air, greener spaces and resilient services benefit children most. We will keep communications accessible and inclusive and ensure changes support equitable care and experience.
Implementation & review
The Sustainability Oversight & Assurance Board will oversee delivery with support from operational groups and Green Champions, reporting into Executive governance and Board via short progress updates. We will refresh annually, keeping actions practical and achievable.
What staff can do
Choose a small action this month: switch off, print less, reuse where safe, take greener travel once a week, share a tip with a colleague.
- Join or support your Green Champion; suggest one change in your area.
- Use the digital option when it works for patients and teams.