The renewed commitment builds on a strong legacy of climate leadership. In October 2024, North Bristol NHS Trust which together with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust has merged to become BFT, became the first NHS Trust to sign the Concordat, setting a national precedent for more sustainable clinical trials and research operations.
Developed by the UK research and innovation sector, the voluntary Concordat represents a shared ambition to continue delivering cutting-edge research in a more environmentally responsible and sustainable way. Clinical trials contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, with an average of 80 tonnes of carbon emitted per trial.
Maria Kane, Chief Executive of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, has formalised this pledge, outlining BFT’s unified approach to the Concordat’s six priority action areas:
- Leadership and system change
- Sustainable infrastructure
- Sustainable procurement
- Emissions from travel
- Collaborations
- Environmental reporting.
Maria Kane said:
“Bristol NHS Foundation Trust fully supports the priority areas outlined in the concordat. We recognise the need to change how we conduct research and innovation while taking shared action to reduce and eliminate environmental impacts and emissions.”
As part of this ongoing commitment, BFT will continue to embed green principles into the fabric of its research delivery. This builds on work already embedded within R&D, including sustainability being included as one of the founding principles of the research strategy, Sustainability Impact Assessments for internally funded research grant applications, and policy development to ensure all R&D decision-making aligns with the wider Healthier Together Integrated Care System Green Plan.
In line with the Concordat, BFT will publish annual headline data on the environmental impact and performance of its research and innovation activity, alongside progress against commitments and priority actions for the year ahead, fostering transparency and inspiring collaborating research organisations across the life sciences sector to join the movement toward a Greener NHS.
Read the newly signed letter of commitment from Maria Kane, BFT Chief Executive (PDF)