The government and public services industry will often have extensive and complex emissions associated with the wide variety of work they undertake. Councils and governmental bodies have a broad array of responsibilities that create wide-reaching emissions footprints. Each of these activities in turn must be evaluated and given its own reduction strategy.
Over 200 councils and many other public sector organisations have declared a climate emergency. But a declaration of emergency must be paired with targets for carbon reduction, and pathways to allow a public sector organization to become a low carbon leader.
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has measured and reduced their carbon footprint through Planet Mark certification for four years. In their fourth year of certification, the Trust achieved an absolute carbon reduction of 3.4% from the year ending March 2019.
Public sector sustainability benefits from certification in several ways. Certification is a means to apply expertise and clear measurements to climate targets within an organisation. Planet Mark’s system of annual reporting helps organisations comply with, and move beyond regulation. The certification also helps easily demonstrate a public sector body’s credentials with a recognised and well-respected achievement.