Green Healthcare Scotland
‘Embedding sustainability into every clinical and managerial decision’
The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has been commissioned to lead Green Healthcare Scotland (GHS). The aim is to embed environmental sustainability across NHS Scotland by driving clinically led improvement and innovation initiatives that support climate resilience and accelerates progress toward the Scottish Government’s net‑zero commitments set out in NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy
Building on the success of the National Green Theatre Programme (NGTP), the programme expanded in early 2026 to include the National Green Renal Programme and the National Green Endoscopy Programme.
Together, these programmes are working to reduce the carbon footprint of renal, theatre and endoscopy services across NHS Scotland through evidence based, clinically driven change.
GHS is a key element of the Scottish Government’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022 – 2026, driving greener, more sustainable healthcare for the future.
Programme aims
GHS aims to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical practice across NHS Scotland, enabling more environmentally sustainable care by:
- Working with clinicians and healthcare professionals to identify and develop practical actions that reduce carbon emissions.
- Supporting all NHS Scotland Boards to implement, measure and report on these improvements, focusing on high-impact, energy-intensive specialities where change can deliver meaningful environmental impact.
- Specialties including Renal, Endoscopy and Theatre departments are high carbon and energy intensive areas which produce high volumes of waste and reducing the environmental impact will make a positive difference toward Scotland's net zero targets.
Clinical leadership
GHS is a clinically-led programme, ensuring sustainability initiatives are shaped by the needs of patients and the realities of frontline care. Clinical leadership is crucial to delivering meaningful, lasting change, helping to ensure that carbon reduction actions are safe, evidence‑based and aligned with clinical priorities.
By placing clinicians at the centre of programme development and decision‑making, GHS supports solutions that are practical to implement, trusted by staff and embedded in everyday practice, driving environmental sustainability without compromising the quality of care.
Workstreams
GHS undertakes a wide range of activity involving clinicians, operational managers, support services, Health Boards, national partners and external stakeholders. To ensure this work is organised, accessible and relevant to different audiences, our actions are structured within 4 core workstreams.
These workstreams provide a clear framework for grouping related activity, making it easier for stakeholders to identify the actions, resources and support most relevant to their role. By organising our work in this way, we enable clinicians, sustainability leads, managers and partners to engage more easily with the programme, while ensuring actions are prioritised, coordinated and aligned to shared objectives.
Below is information on each programme, including carbon saving actions, how we are delivering these programmes and how you can get involved. Please get in touch if you would like further information: cfsdghs@nhs.scot.