To view the full questionnaire with scores, click on the doc.
Internal operations
This domain focuses on the work health organisations are doing to minimise their carbon footprints and waste production. Not only do these actions reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it demonstrates positive leadership and indicates to members and the public that climate change is an important health issue on which everyone should act. ‘Getting one's house in order’ is a crucial step.
DECARBONISATION PLANS 1. Has your organisation measured its present-day carbon footprint? 2. For emissions you directly control (scope 1 emissions), by what date does your organisation plan to reach net zero? 3. For emissions which you can influence, but not control directly (scopes 2 and 3 emissions), by what date does your organisation plan to reach net zero? 4. Does your plan involve short-term, medium term and long-term targets? 5. Do you publish a publicly available report annually on whether climate/nature targets are being met?
SUPPORTING THE MOVE TO NET ZERO WITHIN YOUR SPECIALITY 6. Have you developed a plan for sustainability in your specialist area, working with health systems (NHS/Greener NHS) to implement the plan?
CLIMATE LEADERSHIP 7. Does your organisation currently employ a climate lead with time AND funding made available for the role? 8. Does your organisation have a policy whereby decisions made by the senior management team must consider the impact on climate change and the environment? 9. Does your organisation have a climate/nature committee and/or working group?
BUILDINGS, UTILITIES AND WASTE 10. What is the rating of your Energy Performance Certificate* for your principal building? 11. If your organisation owns the property where you are based, is your electricity supply 100% renewable? 12. Does your organisation have a waste strategy?
PROCUREMENT 13. Does your organisation have a Green Procurement Policy? 14. Has your organisation banned the procurement of non-clinical single-use plastic? This includes disposable plastic cups/plates/cutlery and paper cups (which are lined with plastic). 15. Does your organisation have a policy to prioritise procuring goods and services only from organisations that follow a social value model including fighting climate change?
TRANSPORT 16. Does your organisation have bike storage that is locked and covered, AND changing facilities including showers, for all your workplaces? 17. Does your organisation participate in the Cycle to Work scheme? 18. Has your organisation stopped reimbursing or booking short-haul flights for business travel? 19. Does your organisation incentivise the use of low carbon travel by reimbursing travel that uses active or public transport (walk/cycle/train/bus) at higher rates than for journeys using cars?
FOOD 20. Does your organisation have a target for increasing the proportion of the food that it serves that is plant-based and locally-sourced? 21. Does your organisation always offer a plant-based option on site and at conferences/meetings? 22. Has your organisation removed red meat from your menus, both in house and at catered events? 23. Does your organisation display carbon and environmental impact labels on your food and menus?
EVENTS 24. Does your organisation follow an environmental sustainability framework when planning events?
ICT 25. Does your organisation have a digital transformation plan which seeks to reduce carbon emissions? 26. Does your organisation use Ecosia (or equivalent greener search engine) as its default search engine?
CLIMATE ADAPTATION 27. Does your organisation have a climate change adaptation plan to mitigate the risks or effects of climate change and severe weather conditions on your work?
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 28. Does your organisation have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan?
finance
This domain focuses on organisations divesting their financial assets from investments in fossil fuels as well as banking with green banks and using green insurers. Moving the collective funds of the medical, nursing and allied health colleges and regulatory bodies makes a social and political statement which stigmatises fossil fuels and contributes to uncertainties around the long-term viability of this harmful industry. This is a critical action for breaking society's dependence on fossil fuels.
DIVESTMENT OF ENDOWMENT FUNDS 39. Has your organisation publicly divested all DIRECT investments in companies generating 20% or more of their income from fossil fuels (incl. coal, gas shale, fracking) from their endowment fund or publicly committed to do so within the past three years? If not, has your organisation publicly committed to divest all direct investments in fossil fuels from its endowment fund? 40. Has your organisation publicly divested all INDIRECT investments in fossil fuels (incl. coal, gas shale, fracking) from their endowment fund or publicly committed to do so within the past three years? If not, has your organisation publicly committed to divest all indirect investments in fossil fuels from its endowment fund over three years ago but has not completed the process?
DIVESTMENT OF PENSION FUNDS 41.If your organisation has a defined benefit pension fund: Has your organisation publicly divested their defined benefit pension fund default option? If not, has your organisation publicly committed to divest from its defined benefit pension fund default option within the past three years? If your organisation operates a defined contribution pension scheme: Has your organisation publicly declared that the default options of their defined contribution pension are divested funds? If not, has your organisation publicly committed to divesting the default option within the past three years?
INVESTMENTS IN CLIMATE SOLUTIONS 42. Does your endowment have investments in climate solutions that consider local communities and align with climate justice goals?
TRANSPARENCY 43. Transparency: has your organisation published a full list* of endowment holdings (including in sub funds) which is available to the public? *At least either the 200 largest holdings or the largest holdings comprising 80% of the fund value. 44. Transparency: has your organisation published a full list* of pension holdings (including in sub funds) which is available to the public? *At least either the 200 largest holdings or the largest holdings comprising 80% of the fund value.
BANKING 45. Does your organisation bank with a bank that itself has an ethical investment policy and does not finance companies opening new fossil fuel reserves? You can check this via this website: https://bank.green
INSURANCE 46. Is your organisation insured by an insurance provider that does NOT insure/reinsure fossil fuel companies OR invest in fossil fuel companies?
education
& training
Education holds a critical role in building a climate-resilient health sector. Climate-informed health professionals can engage in public health promotion and prevention as well as integrating sustainable practice into their workplaces. This domain reviews actions taken by organisations to prepare their members for clinical practice in a climate-changing world.
EXAM CURRICULA 29. Are the health impacts of climate change embedded in your (specialist exam) curriculum e.g. membership exams?
PROMOTING CARBON LITERACY 30. Does your organisation have a strategy to achieve climate, nature and health literacy amongst all employees e.g via e-learning or similar? 31. Does your organisation have a strategy to promote climate, nature and health literacy amongst all members e.g via e-learning or similar?
GREEN FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARS PROGRAMMES AND CHAMPIONS SCHEMES 32. Does your organisation have a sustainability/climate/nature fellowship, scholars programme or champions scheme, or does it support an external scheme?
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS 33. Between October 10th 2021 - 31st December 2022, has your organisation run one or more educational events on the topics of climate change, ecological degradation and pollution? 34. Between October 10th 2021 - 31st December 2022, has your organisation run one or more events or promoted learning resources that specifically focus on the justice issues surrounding climate change, ecological degradation and pollution?
PLANETARY HEALTH AND REDUCING INEQUALITIES 35. Does your organisation actively promote strategies and/or policies that have a positive impact on planetary health whilst having the co-benefit of improving population health and/or reducing health inequalities?
DEPRESCRIBING 36. Is your organisation training all your members to reduce overprescribing/promote deprescribing?
ONLINE RESOURCES 37. Does your organisation have a section on its website on climate, nature and health?
SUSQI 38. Does your organisation promote education that highlights the role of health professionals in decarbonising the care they deliver?
Advocacy
The root and remedy of illness is political. Health organisations have a responsibility to advocate for population health. This means calling for an end to fossil fuel exploration and for bold climate policy. Health organisations should challenge global and intergenerational inequity of the climate crisis, as well as the underlying drivers of capitalism, limitless growth, colonialism and militarism.
DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE AND ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY 47. Has your organisation publicly declared a climate and ecological emergency?
CONSULTING COMMUNITIES 48. Does your organisation consult communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, ecological degradation and pollution to aid decision-making on climate action?
FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY 49. Has your organisation signed the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty letter (independently of UKHACC)?
UKHACC MEMBERSHIP 50. Is your organisation a member of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC)?
INFLUENCING LEGISLATION 51. Between October 10th 2021 - 31st December 2022, has your organisation sought to influence legislation relating to climate and health? Please state if these actions were via UKHACC.
ENCOURAGING MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION 52. Does your organisation encourage members to take action against climate change outside of the workplace?