Horton, Banbury and JR hospital trust innovations help cut emissions by a fifth

Innovations at the Horton, Banbury and Oxford hospitals have helped reduce carbon emissions by a fifth.

The reduction driven by Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has taken place over the past three years using greener clinical practice, lower-emission anaesthetics and changes in how staff travel and work.

Staff cycling to work or taking buses has helped to cut emissions at the OUH hospitals

placeholder image — Staff cycling to work or taking buses has helped to cut emissions at the OUH hospitals

Latest figures show 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 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 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.

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.”

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