Aberdeen Joins Elite Consortium for NHS Environmental Transformation
The University of Aberdeen has been selected as a core organisation in a groundbreaking nationwide hub tasked with developing innovative approaches to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the National Health Service. This prestigious appointment places the Scottish university at the forefront of environmental sustainability efforts within Britain’s healthcare system.
The initiative, led by the University of Exeter, has secured £6.5 million in government funding as part of a broader £42 million investment from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). These organisations have established seven specialised hubs, each addressing unique net zero challenges facing various sectors.
Strategic partnerships driving environmental innovation
The newly established health and social care pathways hub, officially titled ‘UK Hub for One Health Systems: Creating Sustainable Health and Social Care Pathways’, brings together an impressive coalition of university and healthcare partners throughout Britain. Their collective mission focuses on transforming the NHS into an environmentally sustainable organisation capable of meeting its legally mandated obligation to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
While the NHS has demonstrated significant progress in reducing emissions directly under its control—projecting an 80% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030—other areas present escalating challenges. Carbon emissions have actually increased from travel, waste management, and supply chain operations involving pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and suppliers of essential healthcare products.
Hub Director Ed Wilson, Professor of Health Economics and Health Policy at the University of Exeter, explained: “We’ll be examining patient journeys through the NHS and social care, identifying carbon hotspots and determining effective methods to neutralise them. This includes helping NHS suppliers—companies manufacturing drugs, medical devices and everyday items like swabs, sheets and hospital gowns—to redesign their processes for reduced carbon emissions.”
Aberdeen’s distinctive contribution to sustainability goals
The University of Aberdeen team, led by Research Fellow Dr Luis Loria-Rebolledo, will spearhead a dedicated workstream focused on prioritising net zero strategies that simultaneously address diverse population needs, maximise environmental benefits, and reduce health inequalities.
“We are thrilled and inspired to participate in this interdisciplinary team, uniting experts from across Britain to achieve such a momentous goal,” stated Dr Loria-Rebolledo. “The project aligns perfectly with Aberdeen’s broader commitment to exploring sustainable solutions that challenge conventional approaches as we work toward our own net zero target before 2040.”
Collaborative network of healthcare excellence
The influential consortium includes numerous prestigious organisations across the United Kingdom: Cornwall Partners NHS Foundation Trust; Glasgow Caledonian University; the Institute of Cancer Research, London; the James Hutton Institute; NHS Highland; Queen’s University Belfast; the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland; the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; the Royal Devon University NHS Foundation Trust; the University of Liverpool; the University of South Wales; Volunteer Cornwall; and Getting it Right First Time—an NHS England programme designed to enhance treatment quality and patient care.
This strategic partnership exemplifies how academic institutions and healthcare providers can collaborate effectively to address urgent environmental challenges while maintaining exceptional standards of patient care. By focusing on system-wide transformation rather than isolated improvements, the hub aims to create a template for sustainable healthcare delivery that could potentially influence similar initiatives globally.