Executive summary

• The signal: NHS England’s September report shows direct emissions down to 4.7 MtCO₂e (−68% since 1990). Desflurane is nearly eliminated (−98%), inhaler emissions down 33%, and nitrous oxide waste savings are £2.3m/year.

 

• Why this matters: Progress is real — but the supplier compliance bar is rising fast: 2027 (org-level reporting), 2028 (product-level data).

 

• What to do now: ICS leaders must make green compliance a procurement default, and partners must prove readiness or risk exclusion.

Context & system signals

• The Greener NHS five-year progress report shows the service is broadly on track to reach an 80% emissions reduction by 2032.
• Supplier compliance is now the next frontier: from 2027, all suppliers must report organisation-level emissions; from 2028, product-level reporting becomes mandatory.
• The NHS Oversight Framework makes sustainability part of system accountability, tying green performance into governance.

Strategic implications

1. Suppliers face a new threshold. Non-compliant suppliers risk exclusion regardless of cost or capacity.
2. ICSs must build green procurement in now. Waiting until 2027 will create market shocks.
3. Sustainability is financial. Cutting emissions has already saved £2.3m/year on nitrous oxide, the link between green action and system cost is proven.
4. Green credibility is reputational. NHS leaders will be judged publicly on their contribution to net zero.

Blueprint: preparing for the supplier roadmap

1. Make green compliance a default in contracts
   • Embed emission reporting requirements in all new tenders.
   • Metric: % of suppliers with compliant emissions data by 2026.
2. Build supplier readiness early
   • Offer frameworks and toolkits to SMEs to prepare for reporting.
   • Metric: supplier compliance trajectory mapped year-on-year.
3. Link green to financial savings
   • Capture and publish savings from waste reduction, energy efficiency, and inhaler switching.
   • Metric: £ saved per tonne CO₂e avoided.
4. Report visibly
   • Align ICS board reporting with NHS national green dashboards.
   • Metric: ICS-level contribution to the 80% reduction trajectory.

Inequalities lens

• Climate risk disproportionately harms deprived communities (e.g., air quality, housing).
• Embedding green measures in healthcare delivery is also an equity intervention.
• ICS leaders should report green progress with a deprivation lens.

How ProMedical would align

• Publish a supplier net-zero pathway aligned to NHS deadlines.
• Provide carbon reporting dashboards for clients.
• Integrate sustainability training into workforce deployment.
• Link green compliance to cost savings in contracts.

Final word — Altin Biba, MBA, AMBA

“The Greener NHS has made real progress, but the harder part is ahead. By 2027, suppliers who can’t prove emissions data won’t even make it to the table. The NHS must help its supply chain get ready, and hold itself to the same standard. At ProMedical, we see green compliance not as a hurdle but as a pathway to resilience and trust.”

References

• NHS England. Progress Report – Delivering a Greener NHS, Five Years On, September 2025 (Item 9i)
• NHS England. NHS Oversight Framework metrics list, September 2025 (Item 4.1.1)