Climate change is a global health emergency. The UK is committed to the Paris Agreement of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in a global effort to substantially reduce carbon emissions.
In support of this goal a £1 billion fund, the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, was launched to support the UK’s ten point plan to accelerate commercialisation of low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings, and industry.
As the UK's largest employer the NHS is responsible for 4% of the nation’s carbon emissions and has a crucial role to play in the 2050 net zero emissions target. In 2019 an ambitious ‘Greener NHS campaign’ to reduce its own carbon footprint and achieve net zero emissions.
Funded by NHS England, and in collaboration with the Greener NHS Programme, the Accelerated Access Collaborative and AHSN Network, this competition sought to address the NHS Net-Zero target.
All proposed innovations were asked to take into account the supply chain, full product life-cycle, as well as the impact that solutions would have on carbon emissions.
Four sub-categories were identified:
- Reducing emissions from care miles
- Reducing emissions from surgical pathways
- Reducing nitrous oxide emissions
- Tools to support low-carbon decision making