The NIHR has announced a £25 million funding initiative designed to propel the health and social care system towards achieving net zero.
This funding opportunity, representing a multi-programme commitment to climate health and sustainability by the NIHR, seeks to lower carbon emissions and reach net zero, with applications being accepted annually.
The initiative’s primary aim is to stimulate and support research that fills crucial knowledge gaps and develops innovative strategies to decarbonise the health and social care sector.
Research proposals might include: assessing low-carbon innovations; investigating effective methods for minimizing waste; evaluating sustainable alternatives to disposable items; examining the necessary workforce transition, expertise, and education required to implement net zero clinical care pathways.
The funding is spread out over five years, with a fresh application round opening each year.
Researchers are encouraged to collaborate with charities, municipal bodies, non-profit organizations, SMEs, and other pertinent entities while drafting proposals.
Jennifer Ekelund, NIHR’s Interim Head of Sustainability, stated, “Research is crucial for discovering daring new strategies to decrease the ecological impact of our health and social care systems.
“The climate crisis presents a formidable threat to public health, and we acknowledge the essential role NIHR has in spearheading resilient health and care systems.
“This fresh funding initiative will energize research in this domain, fostering innovation to help the system lower emissions and ultimately achieve net zero.”
Approximately 4-5% of the UK’s carbon emissions are attributed to the health sector. Notable strides have been made in diminishing the NHS’s carbon footprint, seeing a 26% reduction from 1990 to 2020. Progress is noticeable in the social care domain as well, although more than half of providers still lack a comprehensive environmental plan for evaluating their ecological impact.
The Achieving Net Zero report underscores the pivotal role local governments play in driving net-zero achievements in the care arena. Considering the intricate nature of health systems, decarbonisation efforts must adopt a holistic approach to be genuinely impactful.