The NHS Highland Board agreed at this week’s Board meeting that the organisation signs up to the Highland Charter for Climate, Nature and Health.
Launched in Green Health Week, May 2024, the Highland Charter is a partnership between the Highland Green Health Partnership (led by NHS Highland), The Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, Highland Adapts and the Highland Environment Forum.
It is an invitation to pledge that you will put climate, nature and the benefits of green and blue health at the centre of decision-making and action, in order to protect the natural environment and ensure people have improved health, wellbeing, and resilience.
As a signatory to the charter, which both individuals and organisations can sign, it means a commitment to take at least one action that is positive for climate, nature and health. The intention is that this inspires, creates action and encourages accountability. In this way, the charter can be used as a tool both to raise awareness and ultimately to support policy and decision making as well as raising the profile and importance of this area of work.
The pledge from NHS Highland is to fulfil and report on its obligations as set out in the NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy. They will call on the involvement and participation of all staff, and utilise existing structures to support actions through their energy, environment and sustainability goals.
Richard MacDonald, Director of Estates, Facilities and Capital Planning, said: “This is an extremely positive statement for us in NHS Highland. We are carrying out a broad range of actions to reduce our impact on the environment, and to ensure all our services deliver health and wellbeing outcomes for people and the planet.
“Examples of what we have done include the introduction of biomass boilers, solar panels, air source and ground source heat pumps, and battery storage. We also run a range of initiatives to increase active travel, and are developing plans to support biodiversity and enhance the wellbeing opportunities of the natural spaces on our sites."
“Signing the charter is a celebration of this work, and a reinvigorated commitment to continue our efforts. It is also a motivating message for our staff, who take a multitude of actions on a day-to-day basis. It validates and supports all those individual efforts with wider organisational commitment.
“I urge everyone to sign the charter on an individual level and make their own personal pledge.”