Spire Little Aston's commitment to go ‘carbon neutral’

Spire Little Aston Hospital in Sutton Coldfield has launched a major drive to become carbon neutral by 2030, with a package of environmental measures.

Spire recognises that we have a duty of care to our environment and doing everything we can to reduce the harmful impact of climate change on our planet. Spire Healthcare succeeded in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by over 30% over the last five years and recently announced the ambition to achieve net carbon zero emissions by 2030.

To support Spire's aim of being carbon neutral, Spire Little Aston Hospital has identified a number of key activities and objectives to aim towards.

Some of the recently completed projects include:

• Planting silver birch trees in the grassy areas of the hospital which will absorb CO2 from the environment and enhance natural woodland habitat for the local eco system
• Installation of four electric car chargers, for staff, consultants and patients to use as needed. Electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions making them greener, cleaner and better for the environment. The new chargers are located on the main carpark and we encourage everyone to make use of them when visiting the hospital

Edward Ireland, Hospital Director at Spire Little Aston Hospital, said: “At Spire, we’re determined to play our part in addressing the climate crisis. We’re pleased that the new car chargers and our other environmental projects which we have planned over the next few years will enable us to make inroads into reducing our carbon footprint further.

“But the work doesn’t stop here. We want now to build on the enthusiasm of our colleagues for doing things differently, in a greener way, and continue to think of new ways that we can reduce our impact on the planet.”

Tony Sutera, Spire Little Aston’s Carbon Champion said: “As part of Spire’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the hospital has a number of green projects planned, all with the aim to absorb CO2 from the environment, enhance woodland habitats, and increase recycling”.

In December 2020, Spire Healthcare’s Board approved a de-carbonisation strategy for all of its 40 hospitals, designed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 31 December 2030. Spire was the first independent sector provider to make such a commitment, and £16m of investment over the next 10 years has been ring-fenced to help achieve this aim across the UK.

Pictured: Our silver birch trees freshly planted, and our new car charging stations.