Background/context
RCPCH declared a climate emergency in October 2020. College building and resources is one of five workstreams in the climate change working group. We have met a number of times since the group was formed and discussed areas of focus within the College building itself but also other activities that the College undertakes which have a carbon impact. This includes the RCPCH Conference, College publications and the work the College does in the UK and overseas in terms of education, exams and other funded work. Our work stream is about the carbon footprint of the College itself.
The NHS in England has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to zero by 2040 and substantially by 2030. This includes all aspects of the health service. RCPCH represents paediatricians, and it is entirely appropriate that we lead the way in reducing our own carbon impact as a College as well as supporting members to be advocates for children who will be most affected by climate change. We need paediatricians to take personal action, professional action and be advocates for children across the planet. The College has a significant role to play in modelling low carbon and sustainable principles in all that it does.
Our aims and areas of focus
Our overall aim is to lead the way in decarbonising the work of the college and to support the College in beginning its longer-term journey to becoming a net zero organisation by 2040.
Our areas of focus are as follows:
- Making the RCPCH’s use of its building and resources as sustainable and low-carbon as possible
- Ensuring that RCPCH’s conferences and publications are produced and managed with sustainability of all kinds in mind
- Monitoring and offsetting the carbon footprint incurred in undertaking RCPCH work, including work outside the UK
- Embedding sustainability and low-carbon thinking in RCPCH procurement processes
Our actions for 2021/22
We have committed to the following activity in our first year:
- Implement immediate measures to improve the environmental impact of meetings that take place within our building
- Implement immediate measures to improve the environmental impact of College publications
- Implement immediate measures to improve the environmental impact of externally organised College events, courses and conferences
- Embed sustainability in our procurement policy/strategy, and devise metrics to track the sustainability of our procurement work
- Undertake a carbon audit of all College activity, baselining against the most appropriate pre-COVID year. This will include:
- the RCPCH building
- travel by College staff and members
- external events and conferences in the UK
- our overseas activities
- publications
- our digital footprint
- Consider options for appropriate offsetting of our activity, including investment in activities or countries linked to our charitable objectives, working with RCPCH &Us to build on the ideas they have already shared for this
- Support the development of an environmental impact assessment policy to be used for assessing:
- College conferences and events
- our international work
- the establishment of new College projects
Looking ahead to 2023/24
We hope to go on to do the following in our second and third years:
- Following the carbon audit, develop a robust action plan for reducing our footprint across all included areas. This is likely to include plans for offsetting travel, upgrading equipment (lighting, photocopiers), as well as other specific adjustments to how we operate
- Building on the mitigation implemented in Year 2, supporting the College to begin its longer-term journey to becoming a net zero organisation by 2040