Clean Air Day 2023

The national annual air pollution campaign, Clean Air Day, takes place on 15 June 2023 and as part of this we wanted to reiterate the desperate need for all of us to play our part to improve air quality and enhance the health of our local communities.

Our Social Value Tool
In 2022, NHS London Procurement Partnership procured and launched the pan-London Social Value toolkit for London ICBs to standardise the approach to social value across the region. As part of this, a number of suppliers who have recently won NHS contracts in London made several commitments to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Since the toolkit launched, there has been strong engagement with ICBs. A total of 73 procurement projects are using the toolkit, representing a total contract value of around £290m. Of those, 11 projects are now live with commitments made up of a mix of measures including:

  • 162 hours of volunteering to support Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) adopt circular economy solutions
  • 380k less miles in Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles
  • Over £35k to be invested in climate actions at a local level, all of which will reduce carbon emissions and therefore improve air quality in London.

These commitments are being tracked and measured through a social value monitoring tool to ensure that the benefits are realised. So far, some key examples of this include:

  • Reduction of 500k car miles driven
  • Total of 351k car miles driven using low or no emission
  • 2.4k tonnes of reduced waste plastics, products and materials.

Michelle McCann, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer at NHS LPP, said: “We are pleased to see our suppliers making real commitments to improve air quality through their social value commitments. A continued and sustained commitment to reducing air pollution will be extremely beneficial to our local communities. In short, the cleaner the air around us, the less people we’ll see presenting at our hospitals with respiratory conditions.”

Air quality and health
Dr Andrew Stradling, Chief Medical Officer at NHS LPP, said: “We know the impact that poor air quality has on our health and wellbeing, and the clear link between air quality and disease, including respiratory conditions, mental health and illness during pregnancy.

“There are so many things we can do as an individual to reduce air pollution, whether that’s driving your car less, getting on your bike more or using less energy. I urge all of us to take a look at where we can personally help reduce air pollution and create a positive impact for the communities we live in.”

Please visit the Clean Air Day website for more information on how you can get involved with the campaign.

 

15/06/2023