NHS in Lincolnshire supports national celebration of community action tacking climate change
Posted on: 7th June 2023
The NHS in Lincolnshire will be supporting The Great Big Green Week, which takes place from 10th – 18th June, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.
With interest in and action on climate change arguably at unprecedented levels, initiatives like The Great Big Green Week see people come together to show their support for action to protect the planet. As the UK’s biggest employer the NHS has a key role in the country’s green agenda.
Having made a commitment nationally to reach net zero by 2040, for the carbon emissions we control directly, and net zero by 2045, for the emission we can influence, a significant and challenging target, the NHS in the county is keen to demonstrate what it is doing locally to play its part and to support initiatives like The Great Big Green Week.
“The honest truth is the NHS is both part of the problem, in terms of climate change, but also has a crucial role to play in being a part of the solution,” comments Sarah Connery, Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
“Our national commitment to reach net zero by 2040 for the emissions we control directly means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests. So there’s a lot of work to be done, but we’ve already made a start.”
The Great Big Green Week will see a series of events taking place across the country, including in Lincolnshire – everything from litter picks to letter writing, festivals to football matches, seaweed foraging to school assemblies. More information on events can be found here.
These events are hosted by anyone who cares about climate change. In addition, Local Green Weeks – Great Big Green Week community hubs – celebrate local activity, raise the profile of climate change and show why it is relevant to communities and local decision makers.
Working in conjunction with Lincolnshire County Council, the NHS in Lincolnshire has already adopted the County Council’s three guiding principles – don’t waste anything, consider wider opportunities, and take responsibility and pride.
“Events like The Great Big Green Week are a fun way to get involved locally, show your support and to make a difference, and we’ll be promoting it to our staff and encouraging them to get involved and to find out more,” explains Sarah.
At the same time, The Great Big Green Week is a good opportunity for the NHS in Lincolnshire to share with its staff and the wider public some of the work it’s already done as part of its contribution to reaching net zero.
“We need to take our staff and Lincolnshire people on a journey with us, to explain why reaching net zero is so important. We’ve already done lots of practical things like installing EV chargers across a number of our sites, but as a county particularly prone to the effects of climate change, there is much more to do,” adds Sarah.
The NHS in Lincolnshire will be supporting The Great Big Green Week, which takes place from 10th – 18th June, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.
With interest in and action on climate change arguably at unprecedented levels, initiatives like The Great Big Green Week see people come together to show their support for action to protect the planet. As the UK’s biggest employer the NHS has a key role in the country’s green agenda.
Having made a commitment nationally to reach net zero by 2040, for the carbon emissions we control directly, and net zero by 2045, for the emission we can influence, a significant and challenging target, the NHS in the county is keen to demonstrate what it is doing locally to play its part and to support initiatives like The Great Big Green Week.
“The honest truth is the NHS is both part of the problem, in terms of climate change, but also has a crucial role to play in being a part of the solution,” comments Sarah Connery, Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
“Our national commitment to reach net zero by 2040 for the emissions we control directly means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests. So there’s a lot of work to be done, but we’ve already made a start.”
The Great Big Green Week will see a series of events taking place across the country, including in Lincolnshire – everything from litter picks to letter writing, festivals to football matches, seaweed foraging to school assemblies. More information on events can be found here.
These events are hosted by anyone who cares about climate change. In addition, Local Green Weeks – Great Big Green Week community hubs – celebrate local activity, raise the profile of climate change and show why it is relevant to communities and local decision makers.
Working in conjunction with Lincolnshire County Council, the NHS in Lincolnshire has already adopted the County Council’s three guiding principles – don’t waste anything, consider wider opportunities, and take responsibility and pride.
“Events like The Great Big Green Week are a fun way to get involved locally, show your support and to make a difference, and we’ll be promoting it to our staff and encouraging them to get involved and to find out more,” explains Sarah.
At the same time, The Great Big Green Week is a good opportunity for the NHS in Lincolnshire to share with its staff and the wider public some of the work it’s already done as part of its contribution to reaching net zero.
“We need to take our staff and Lincolnshire people on a journey with us, to explain why reaching net zero is so important. We’ve already done lots of practical things like installing EV chargers across a number of our sites, but as a county particularly prone to the effects of climate change, there is much more to do,” adds Sarah.