Carbon emissions cut by more than 20% in three years

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has reduced its carbon emissions by more than 20% over the past three years, driven by greener clinical practice, lower-emission anaesthetics, and changes in how staff travel and work.

Latest figures show that carbon emissions from areas under OUH's direct control fell from 47,349 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2022/23 to 37,419 in 2025/26, a reduction of around 21%. The Trust also achieved a year-on-year reduction of more than 10% in the last financial year.

The reduction reflects a combination of changes to clinical practice, improvements in infrastructure, and everyday actions taken by staff. This includes investment in solar panels, improved food waste collection, reduced business travel, and changes to how anaesthetic gases are supplied and used.

Changes to patient care have played a particularly important role. Emissions from anaesthetic gases have fallen significantly over the three-year period (3,619 CO₂e to 2,170 CO₂e), while inhaler-related emissions have also decreased as clinicians support patients to move to lower-carbon options where clinically appropriate.

A detailed review of more than 5,500 business journeys showed 215,000 fewer car miles, as more meetings, training and conferences moved online, and emissions from fossil fuels have fallen steadily over the past three years (26,839 CO₂e to 19,671 CO₂e).

Wendy Cheeseman, Head of Sustainability and Carbon Management at OUH, said: "Reducing our total carbon footprint is an essential part of how we deliver healthcare now and in the future. Achieving a reduction of more than 20% over three years is a significant milestone, and it reflects the collective effort of teams across the Trust.

"As well as reducing overall emissions, we are also seeing improvements in how efficiently we work, for example reducing the carbon impact of travel by choosing lower-emission options where possible.

"We are continuing to embed sustainability into the way we deliver care and operate as an organisation, expanding lower-carbon clinical practices, supporting staff to reduce travel emissions, and improving efficiency across our sites."

OUH has also continued to improve how it monitors and manages its environmental impact. While recorded water emissions increased slightly in the latest year, this reflects improved data quality and the introduction of monitoring systems that can detect leaks more quickly, enabling faster action and more accurate reporting.

This work builds on wider investment in the Trust’s estate and energy infrastructure, including recent government funding to upgrade lighting and support a new energy study focused on cutting carbon emissions.

The Trust is aiming to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 – in line with NHS England's carbon neutral target.