The climate emergency poses a major threat to human health as well as the health of our planet. Widening inequalities and growing pressures on the health and care system have prompted questions about the role and responsibility of large public sector organisations in tackling the wider determinants of health. The population most impacted by health inequalities are often those most impacted by climate breakdown and poor air quality.

Reducing harmful carbon emissions will improve health and save lives. Currently, the NHS accounts for 4-5% of UK carbon emissions with 23% of NHS carbon emissions generated in primary care. In 2020, the NHS set ambitious aims to deliver a Net Zero National Health Service, reducing emissions controlled directly by the NHS by 2040, and for emissions influenced by the NHS by 2045. This is integrated into the North Central London Green Plan 2022-2025 with the aim to reduce the footprint across 203 practices in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.

These pages aim to help support better greener primary care across NCL.