Towards Net Zero Award

Towards Net Zero Award
Towards Net Zero Award
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How to apply

  1. Register an account.
  2. Start your entry (save it in-progress).
  3. Submit your entry to be in the running.

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The NHS has committed to becoming the world's first net zero health service, but achieving this goal requires more than ambition. It demands real, measurable action at every level of the system. From decarbonising estates and electrifying transport fleets to embedding sustainable procurement and reducing clinical waste, organisations across the NHS are driving innovative solutions to cut emissions while maintaining high-quality care.

This award recognises those leading the way in integrating sustainability into service delivery, whether by rethinking infrastructure, making supply chains more sustainable, optimising energy use or reducing carbon-intensive clinical practices. Judges will be looking for organisations that have turned sustainability commitments into action, demonstrating how green initiatives are reducing environmental impact while also improving efficiency, resilience and patient outcomes.

Applicants should showcase tangible progress in reducing emissions, waste, water, and energy consumption, with initiatives that can scale and inspire wider adoption across the NHS. Whether through innovative partnerships, data-driven decision-making, or operational transformation, this award will celebrate those making a meaningful impact in creating a greener, more sustainable health service.

Eligibility

This award is open to all public NHS organisations within the UK. 

Ambition

The challenge and context within which your project, person or organisation is set alongside your goals and targets whether quantitative or qualitative, and how this aligns with national priorities.

  • What have been the biggest environmental challenges facing your organisation or system in recent years, and what is the vision for sustainable development across the organisation?
  • How does that vision translate into specific green initiatives aimed at reducing carbon, energy consumption, water use, single-use plastics or other waste?
  • What targets were set for these initiatives and how were they measured?

Collaboration

The stakeholders' involvement in co-designing and delivering the project. How have patients, staff at all levels, communities and other parties worked together to realise the outcomes?

  • How has the organisation engaged staff across multiple functions and departments to challenge business as usual thinking and deliver the vision?
  • How have patients, service users or the wider community been involved in the design and implementation of net zero initiatives?

Impact

The measurable benefits delivered to patients, staff, your organisation or the wider system. Provide data and evidence showing improvements to outcomes, quality, access, equity or efficiency.

  • How is the vision being achieved? Describe the performance of green initiatives against targets and include supporting evidence of improvements over time
  • Provide specific examples of how individual projects feed into the wider vision for sustainable development and how they will achieve lasting impact
  • Evidence efficiency gains in terms of waste reduction and cost savings, and describe the overall environmental impact achieved so far

Scale

How your work has been shared, adopted or replicated beyond your immediate team or organisation. This includes dissemination through publications, presentations, toolkits, partnerships or inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.

  • How is sustainable development becoming business as usual across the organisation, and how can initial successes be replicated and scaled?
  • Describe any work undertaken to spread best practice learning with other healthcare organisations or the wider public

Sustainability

The potential for the project/work to continue and create lasting impact. Evidence of how it can be sustained or built upon.

  • How have sustainability principles been embedded within the organisation's processes and policies to ensure lasting change?
  • Describe how the initiatives support compliance with the Climate Change Act, Environmental Protection Act or other relevant legislation
  • What evidence is there that this work can be built upon or scaled across the wider NHS to accelerate progress towards net zero?

Towards Net Zero Award

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To find out more

Partnership opportunities:  Sponsorship Sales Team
Awards entry enquiries: Delegate Sales Team
Judging and event management: Awards Support