Create a Clear Sustainability Function 

The most effective programmes we see have a dedicated sustainability function built in from the start. This isn’t just a box-ticking exercise – it’s a way to make sustainability work for your programme, not against it. 

Here’s what this function should do: 

1. Clarify objectives and responsibilities:

• Work with the Trust’s sustainability team to set clear, measurable goals that reflect both national standards and local priorities. 
• Define who owns each sustainability deliverable and ensure it’s embedded into programme governance and decision-making processes. 
• Build reporting mechanisms that track progress against objectives and make sustainability performance visible to senior leaders. 

2. Connect sustainability to other priorities: 

• Map programme objectives to sustainability outcomes – for example, show how investment in remote monitoring supports both patient experience and carbon reduction. 
• Integrate sustainability considerations into Target Operating Models (TOMs), business cases, and benefits frameworks so they aren’t treated as a bolt-on. 
• Encourage design choices that support broader transformation – e.g., layouts that make community-based care easier, or energy-efficient digital infrastructure that supports analytics and AI. 

3. Stay ahead of national requirements: 

• Oversee development of required documents like the NHS Environmental Sustainability Strategy and BREEAM submissions, so nothing is left to the last minute. 
• Monitor emerging national guidance, estate standards, and ICS-level strategies to anticipate changes before they impact programme timelines. 
• Act as the link between programme delivery teams and the wider NHS sustainability landscape, bringing in best practice and lessons learned from other programmes. 

In short, this function becomes your sustainability champion – not just ensuring compliance but helping your programme use sustainability as a driver for innovation and future-proofing. 

Why It’s Worth the Effort 

In the short term: you’ll demonstrate meaningful progress towards Net Zero, build credibility, and make capital approvals smoother. You’ll also show that your programme supports wider transformation goals, like integrated care and digital enablement. 

In the long term: you’ll reduce the risk of costly redesigns, stay resilient to changing policy and funding, and deliver a capital programme that still makes sense in ten years’ time. 

Sustainability isn’t just a requirement – it’s a lever for better outcomes. Build it into your programme early, and you’ll not only meet your obligations but also help deliver the kind of NHS estate that patients and staff need for the future. 

At The PSC, we're supporting the NHS to meet its Net Zero targets. If you want to find out how we can work with you to embed sustainability into your capital programme, or meet your Net Zero targets, get in touch at hello@thepsc.co.uk - we'd love to talk.