SC(3) CR-I&PB5

Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales: Carbon Reduction by Industry and Public Bodies

Response from the Carmarthenshire NHS Trust

Corporate Services Directorate
Ein Cyf/Our Ref:
Tel No/Rhif Ffon: 01267 227940 Dyddiad/Date: 29^th January 2008

Virginia Hawkins
National Assembly For Wales
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1NA

Dear Ms Hawkins

RE: Sustainability Committee Inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales: Carbon Reduction by Industry and Public Bodies

I write with reference to the correspondence of the 20^th November 2007 relating to the inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales.

I have therefore, outlined how the Carmarthenshire NHS Trust is contributing to the reduction in carbon emissions at a local level so that you can appreciate our actions, and attach for your information a document, which sets out our activities.

The Trust is progressing well with a range of initiatives, which are already delivering real improvements to carbon reduction and financial savings. The Trust Board has fully supported this approach and empowered a working group to deliver on key policy objectives. A range of important initiatives have been developed within this over-arching strategy that have included: -

• The implementation of a number of utility saving and waste management projects has enabled the Trust to reduce its carbon footprint and save, on a recurring basis;  
• Involvement on the second phase of the Carbon’s Trust Carbon Management programme to develop a Implementation Plan that will provide a structured 5-year plan to reduce our carbon footprint;

Should you wish to discuss our progress further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards
Mark Lewis
Deputy Head of Estates

Carmarthenshire NHS Trust
Update Report on Utilities, Waste and Environmental Management

Background

This document sets out a brief overview of the Trust’s activities in achieving improvements to a range of sustainable issues including energy, waste and environmental management within the organisation.  The Trust is progressing well with a range of initiatives which are already delivering real improvements to carbon reduction, waste management and financial savings.

A more detailed briefing on the application of such issues within the organisation is available as a separate document should it be required.

1. Management Actions

The Carmarthenshire Trust has embraced all aspects of environmental management and sustainability as key objectives within its strategic and operational plans.

The Trust Board has fully supported this approach and empowered the Waste, Energy and Environmental Management Group to deliver on these policy objectives.

A range of important management initiatives have been developed within this over-arching strategy which include:

• An active Energy Awareness Campaign
• Appointment of local energy representatives (currently circa. 25 representatives appointed).
• On-going Departmental Energy Audits to identify specific improvements on a local basis.
• Executive Director representative on the NHS Carbon Management Programme (in partnership with the Carbon Trust).
• Regular facilitated workshops undertaken to identify energy saving measures from general staff employed within the organisation.
• The appointment of two senior individuals within the Trust to deliver on energy and environmental management objectives.
• The appointment of the Deputy Chief Executive in the role of Champion of energy and environmental waste management issues.
• Formal sign off by the Trust Board of the energy and carbon management policy, environment policy statement and waste policy statement.
• Final work being concluded on the Green Dragon Accreditation process to ensure a quality based approach.

External accreditation of management systems

A number of independent audits have been undertaken on energy management within the organisation which have resulted in the Trust being identified as having significant assurance in demonstrating best practice standard of energy monitoring.

2. Energy Management

In the previous financial year, the Trust expended circa. £1.72 million on utilities, excluding water supply.

The implementation of a number of specific initiatives has enabled the Trust to save, on a recurring basis, circa £183k on the above figure.  This is circa 10% of the overall budget.  The Trust continues to make excellent progress towards the Government target of 15% reduction in Primary Energy by 2010 from the baseline year of 1999/2000.  The Trust is currently less than 1% from this target and is confident this will be achieved well in advance of this deadline.

In addition to the above, the approved Trust policy dictates that any new project developed will achieve an excellent NEAT rating.  

Future investment plans include a major engineering infrastructure development prioritised programme valued at circa £7 million which will deliver further reductions in carbon produced and utility costs in addition to those noted above.  Work is on-going on these schemes to validate exact savings which can be realised.

The Trust is also prioritising sustainability improvement schemes within its discretionary capital investment programme on an annual basis.

3. Carbon Reduction Programme

In the previous financial year, the Trust produced 7,475 tonnes of carbon emissions.  Following a range of on-going initiatives, the Trust is delighted to have already exceeded the Government target of reducing carbon emissions by 15% by 2010 from a base year of 1999/2000.  

The actual performance of the organisation is a reduction of 36%.

In addition to the above, the Trust has been successful in being accepted onto the second phase of the Carbon Management Programme, administered by the Carbon Trust, which is intended to deliver further efficiencies in both energy cost and CO₂ emissions by applying best practice procedures.

4. Water Management

In the previous financial year the Trust expended circa £280k in water supply.

Significant initiatives on-going within the Trust have identified a number of relatively small investments with a short payback period.  The Trust will save circa. £20k per annum on a recurring basis via these initiatives (this is circa 7% of the overall budget.

In addition to the above, the Trust has developed proactive water management procedures to promptly identify any issues such as leaks together with a number of significant investments in our infrastructure to avoid such future problems.

5. Waste Management

The Trust produces circa. 1200 tonnes of waste per year.  This is made up of approximately 60% landfill to 40% clinical waste.  

The Trust fully appreciates the impact of these significant waste disposal figures and has taken proactive action in terms of management initiatives to deliver improvements.

The main initiatives include:

• Development of a sustainable waste policy statement and strategy.
• A successful bid to WAG for grant aid assistance to purchase cardboard baling machines for both acute sites.  The Trust is now diverting cardboard waste from landfill to cardboard bales as recyclable materials.  The Trust receives an income for such waste.
• The implementation of waste streaming for non-confidential paper has been successfully delivered.  The Trust has again been successful in a grant application to the WAG for funding of the purchase of specialist bins for this use.  This waste is diverted away from the landfill waste tonnage which again improves sustainability and financial management.
• In terms of future action, the Trust is now implementing a managed approach to waste management.  This will include such initiatives as:
• Waste manuals to identify staff actions required in terms of waste segregation.
• Innovative procurement contracts which will enable full recycling on a wide range of materials, i.e. glass, plastics, tins, metals and general packaging.  To enable this initiative to be implemented, a number of physical containment compounds are being constructed to facilitate new management arrangements.

6. Environmental Management

Green Dragon accreditation at level 2 standard was achieved in January 2008 at the West Wales General Hospital.  Work continues to work towards level 3 by the end of March 08 at the hospital, and across the Trust following this achievement of this standard.   This will deliver a quality assured standard, which the Trust will need to maintain compliance with in the future.  The Trust will be subject to regular audits on this standard by approved accreditors facilitated by WAG.