Connect Health Green Plan

Connect Health Green Plan

Connect Health recognises that, through the delivery of its services, it will have an impact on the natural environment within which it operates. Working over a wide range of locations, delivering varied services, and utilising the skills and expertise of many personnel means that the impact is unavoidable. However, it is possible to make changes in the way we operate to minimise any negative issues and to make decisions that have a positive outcome and to contribute towards a more environmental aware and less impactful future.

This document recognises that the company will impact on the natural environment but then establishes what actions and programmes we can deliver to both minimise any negative effects of our activities whilst enhancing and promoting those that can deliver a positive outcome. The results of investigating our current environmental impacts have resulted in the development of this Green Plan; a document that outlines the Company approach to environmental matters and how our success in delivering tangible benefits in environmental performance can be delivered and, importantly, measured.

Key environmental concerns, such as climate change, represent serious threats to the global environment; we commit to playing our part in adapting our activities and reviewing our processes to minimise any negative impacts we may have on the environment. Connect Health makes a commitment to adopting and implementing sustainable approaches, particularly in relation to carbon reduction and promotion of good citizenship.

Access our full Green Plan (2021-2024) here.

 

 

Connect Health’s approach

 

Planning

• Commissioned external review on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements.
• Green plan developed in 2021, recognising impact on the environment with plan for all staff to make changes to their ways of working.
• Standard operating procedures take into account carbon emissions.

 

Travel

• All staff encouraged to travel via the most sustainable form of transport.
• Online calculator provided for colleagues to determine the most efficient way of travelling on their business journeys.
• Promote virtual meetings instead of face-to-face meetings to reduce our carbon footprint.
• Members of a cycle to work scheme.
• Head Office is based in a business park where several businesses have access to public transport services, bike maintenance events and electric pool cars.

 

People

• Recruitment of dedicated role for Health and Safety and Environmental management with a remit to achieve ISO14001.

 

Suppliers

• Procure from local suppliers where possible, helping to support local sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.
• All new suppliers are assessed for their environmental commitment during supplier onboarding process.
• Bulk ordering encouraged to lower the number of journeys suppliers need to make.
• Procurement department ensures we reduce unnecessary packaging.
• Printed material is reduced by offering electronic alternatives.

 

Sites

• LED lights installed where possible in all sites.
• Air conditioning systems turned off outside of core hours.
• All Head Office PCs have an auto shutdown at 8pm and printers are automatically set to print double sided. We use virtual servers instead of physical servers, low power PCs and laptops, phones are connected over ethernet and paper usage is monitored and reported.
• For sites where we have control over waste disposal, we have recycling contracts set up to dispose of mixed recycling and battery recycling points. We use suppliers who are dedicated to disposing of waste in a responsible and compliant manner.
• At our Head Office we have installed dedicated recycling bins throughout the office for mixed recycling, glass, batteries, coffee cups and crisp packets, all of which we recycle.
• We carry out a water risk assessment at all our managed sites to pick up any risks and carry out any works to change inefficient systems.
• We have planned preventative maintenance contractors who ensure our water systems are well maintained.

 

Service delivery

• PhysioLine service is provided in many services, enabling patients to receive a telephone appointment rather than having to travel.
• We recently stopped using our 5-part mobile clinic units in favour of static sites which means much less emissions ferrying these around the country.