For NHS trusts, this isn’t optional. Sustainability is now part of what good leadership looks like.
The quality statement is clear:
We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment and strive to reduce it, while supporting others to do the same.
This extends beyond having a Green Plan. It is about whether leaders and staff understand climate risk, carbon reduction and sustainable healthcare, and whether that understanding translates into action.
What the CQC will expect to see
Under the environmental sustainability Well-led statement, the CQC highlights:
- Staff awareness and education
- Carbon reduction (travel, medicines, supply chain)
- Health promotion and prevention
- Estates and facilities efficiency
- Resource-efficient, low-carbon service delivery
That first bullet point matters. If sustainability sits within leadership and governance, staff must be able to demonstrate an understanding of sustainable healthcare, practical action to reduce environmental impact, awareness of how their role contributes to net zero, and engagement with preventative, low-carbon models of care.
Many trusts already have Green Plans and net zero commitments. The challenge is embedding them into everyday practice. This may include:
- Clinical teams considering lower-carbon care pathways
- Procurement teams understanding supply chain emissions
- Estates teams improving energy performance
- Leaders making carbon-aware strategic decisions
- All staff understanding their role in sustainable practice
This is where the Environmental Sustainability Skills lot on our newly launched Training and Development framework can support organisations.
How the Training and Development framework can help
Our Training and Development Framework includes a dedicated lot for Environmental Sustainability Skills (lot 6). It supports healthcare and public sector organisations to build core sustainability awareness across the workforce, develop role-specific skills in carbon reduction and resource efficiency, equip leaders with the knowledge required to embed net zero into strategy and governance, support compliance with regulatory and policy requirements and enable modular, progressive learning pathways that build capability over time.
Training can be delivered face-to-face, digitally or through blended models, and tailored from general awareness through to specialist and leadership level.
There are 6 appointed suppliers on the lot, offering a range of approaches to suit different organisational needs.
Why this matters now
The CQC has made it clear that environmental sustainability forms part of the Well-led assessment. Boards will need to evidence leadership commitment, workforce engagement, practical carbon reduction activity and the embedding of sustainable development within planning and service delivery. If staff do not understand sustainable healthcare and their role within it, organisations may find it challenging to demonstrate this in assessment. In this context, workforce development becomes an important element of governance and organisational readiness.
Next steps
If you are reviewing your trust’s readiness against the Well-led sustainability statement, now is the time to assess your workforce capability.
To explore the Environmental Sustainability lot on our Training and Development Framework, contact [email protected].