Your net zero plan

You selected ‘Health and social care’ and ‘North East England’
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Understand your business emissions

1) What causes emissions

Direct carbon emissions produced by the health and social care industry:

energy use – electricity and gas for lighting, heating and equipment
general waste – when it is not recycled and ends up at landfill sites
transport – using petrol or diesel vehicles to get to work or deliver services

2) Calculate your emissions

Use a carbon calculator to work out your business’s carbon footprint. This is measured in tonnes, over a year.

3) Estimate the cost of your emissions

Once you have your carbon footprint, you can calculate how much your emissions are costing you. This will give you an idea of potential savings you can make by taking action.

4) Sign up to the SME climate commitment

Make a climate declaration to show customers you are committed to reducing emissions.

Get support

1) Support in your sector

You can get help and advice from the following organisations:

the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition – promotes sustainable practices in healthcare through the collaboration of its members
the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare – offers strategic input and consultancy on sustainable healthcare research
Greener NHS – shares ideas on how to reduce the impact on the environment, save money and reach net zero
UK Health Alliance on Climate Change – brings together health professionals to advocate for responses to climate change

You can also learn how to run your business in a more environmentally friendly way by hiring a sustainability consultant

2) Support in your region

The following grants, schemes and loan programmes are available in North East England:

Durham’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £3,200 in matching funds for business improvements
Northumberland’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £2,800 in matching funds for business improvements
North of Tyne Growth Fund gives SMEs up to 30% in matching funds when they plan to invest at least £67,000 in premises improvements and other capital costs. Must be located in Newcastle, North Tyneside or Northumberland.
Tyne and Wear’s North East Business Support Fund gives SMEs up to £2,800 in matching funds for business improvements

Actions you can take right now

1) Use less energy at your workplace

Quick, low-cost measures include:

lighting – use LED bulbs for greater efficiency
heating – put your thermostat on a timer and seal your windows for extra insulation
office or health equipment – try to turn off and unplug devices when they’re not being used

2) Change your energy tariff

Switch to a green energy tariff with your energy supplier. This will reduce your reliance on energy produced by fossil fuels.

3) Switch to a smart meter

This will allow you to see and control how much energy you use. Find out how.

4) Manage your waste

Recycle waste to prevent it being taken to landfill sites where it takes longer to break down and causes more emissions.

Longer term actions

1) Making changes to your workplace

If you are the legal owner, there are a number of long-term measures you can take to improve energy efficiency.

Check planning permission guidelines before you go ahead with any structural changes to the property.

Improving insulation and windows

You can make long-term savings on energy bills by insulating your workplace and replacing old windows.

Installing renewables

You can also make significant long-term savings by installing renewable sources of energy.

For example:

heat pumps for heating and water
solar panels or a wind turbine for electricity

Get training in energy efficiency

You can train your team to be aware of energy efficiency in the workplace. Find a course

2) Reducing transport emissions

Over 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions are caused by transport. You can take measures to reduce the impact.

If you have employees you could introduce a cycle-to-work initiative or encourage them to take public transport.

Electric vehicles

If you use a work vehicle, you can also reduce fuel costs by switching to an electric vehicle (EV). You would be exempt from road tax, congestion charges and parking fees in certain areas.

For easy overnight charging you could install EV chargers at your home or workplace. A government grant scheme covers up to £350 per charging point.

Learn more about reducing the impact of transport

Indirect emissions

To reduce indirect or ‘supply chain’ emissions you need to consider what happens before and after your business provides a service or makes a product.