Carbon Literacy and Sustainability Champions: Driving Change Across NHS Supply Chain

Sustainability is more than a commitment, here at NHS Supply Chain – it’s action. This year, we launched our Carbon Literacy programme, tailoring Healthcare Pathway materials to our organisation and delivering 16 workshops to 118 colleagues, including members of our executive team.

Our Sustainability Team is now certified as Carbon Literacy facilitators and is pursuing full trainer status, while our champions are stepping up to support delivery and earn their own certifications. These sessions have sparked inspiring pledges, including Liz Glover’s award-winning commitment to reduce waste in the IV Cannula Framework.

See our Useful Links section to read her entry and more about Carbon Literacy.

Alongside this, our Sustainability Champions are taking collaboration on the road. Their September meeting was hosted by a Derby-based MedTech SME*.

The meeting at Pennine Healthcare explored the challenges that smaller suppliers face and how we can work together to drive Net Zero.

*Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) accounted for almost 38% of NHS Supply Chain sales in 2024-2025, so this type of partnership is vital. Champion Anna James has pledged to create a sustainability handbook for SMEs as part of her Carbon Literacy journey.

Together, these initiatives show how we’re embedding sustainability into every level of our organisation and supply chain.