Useful organisations and tools
Organisations:
- Carbon Trust
- Carbon Literacy Project
- Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
- Keep Scotland Beautiful
- Net Zero Nation
- NHS Sustainability Action
- NHS Scotland National green theatres programme
Tools:
LCAT - Local climate adaptation tool
A tool highlighting the scientific research in the UK on:
- How local climates will change
- What health and community impacts may occur as a result
- Who will be most vulnerable and why
- Which adaptations to consider
Offers a visual representation of the change in temperature in countries down to regional level over the last century.
A tool that highlights the social value and benefits of positive climate action.
Publications and reports
There are many reports on climate change, the climate emergency and reducing carbon impact. Here is a snapshot of some of the most relevant to those working in health and social care in Scotland.
Carbon Brief (2021) Calculating the carbon footprint of the NHS in England - guest blog. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
CILIPS (2025) Libraries for a sustainable future. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (2022) Exploring digital carbon footprints. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (2024) An evidence review of interventions aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of surgical operating theatres (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Libraries.Fi ((2020) The carbon footprint of your library. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
NHS Education for Scotland (2024) Climate emergency and sustainability strategy 2024-2027. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
NHS England (2025) Sustainability in NHS knowledge and library services. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Scottish AI Alliance (2025) What is the climate impact of Artificial Intelligence? (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Scottish Government (2022) NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-2026 (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Scottish Government (2024) Annual NHS Scotland Climate Emergency & Sustainability Report 2024. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Scottish Government (2021- 2025) Chief Medical Officers annual reports. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Scottish Parliament (2025) Links between climate change and health in Scotland. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Tennison I, Roschnik S, Ashby B, et al (2021) Health care's response to climate change: a carbon footprint assessment of the NHS in England . The Lancet. Planetary Health, 5(2), e84-e92. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
NHS Supply Chain (2025) Reducing Carbon Impact Through Supplier Collaboration (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Your organisation and others will have their own strategy.
Data sources
UK Government. Office of National Statistics:
- Greenhouse gas emissions, UK: provisional estimates 2023 (Accessed 27 August 2025)
- UK environmental accounts: 2025 (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Department for energy security and net zero, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland department for agriculture, environment and rural affairs (2025) , National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (2025) Greenhouse gas inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990 - 2023 (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Department for energy security and net zero (2023) 2023 UK greenhouse gas emissions. (Accessed 27 August 2025)
Glossaries
- British Business Bank. Glossary of sustainable terms
- Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Sustainability glossary
- Public Health Scotland (2024) Climate emergency. Key definitions
- Sustainable Business Network. Glossary of sustainability
- Scottish Government (2025) Climate change duties - draft statutory guidance for public bodies: consultation. Glossary and Key definitions
- UK Government, Crown Commercial Service. Glossary of terms: Carbon net zero and smart solutions