Amey to help with decarbonisation across NHS

The National Health Service has selected Amey to help it decarbonise its travel services, on its path to net zero. Amey will provide services to help implement new technology which can reduce carbon emissions across the NHS, and its vehicles.

Earlier in 2023, Amey refreshed its visual identity, as the firm sought to show how its offering to clients across the UK was evolving. According to CEO Andy Milner, the new look will help reflect the firm’s “unique strength and breadth” of expertise to clients looking to accelerate their sustainability journeys.

At the time, Milner explained, “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and the UK government has rightly set ambitious targets for decarbonisation. When I joined the business, I was determined to accelerate Amey’s journey towards putting sustainability at the core of everything we do. This is an ambitious mission and will lead to the creation of more sustainable infrastructure solutions that considers net zero, climate adaptation and resilience.”

That commitment to helping public sector entities in the UK on their net zero journey has been further emphasised by news that Amey has been named on a new framework with the National Health Service. Looking ahead, Amey will be partnering with NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) to decarbonise the NHS’s transport infrastructure.

Anjub Ali, NHS SBS’ senior category specialist for construction and infrastructure, said of the news, "This second generation framework has been renewed in line with NHS Green Travel Plans and developed in conjunction with NHS Sustainability, Estates and Procurement colleagues. The aim is to provide a range of sustainable transport services and infrastructure that supports the NHS, and wider public sector to lower carbon outputs and achieve carbon net zero targets. "

The NHS accounts for 4% of the nation's total carbon footprint, and according to NHS England, emissions from travel and transport account for 14% of its overall carbon footprint. This includes 4% for business travel and fleet transport, 5% for patient travel, 4% for staff commutes and 1% for visitor travel.

Looking to tackle this via its Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy the NHS has said that by 2033, staff travel emissions will be reduced by 50% through shifts to more sustainable forms of travel and electrification of personal vehicles. From 2030, all new ambulances will be zero emission vehicles. From 2040, all owned, leased and commissioned vehicles will be zero emission.

The Sustainable Transport & Infrastructure framework will provide the necessary infrastructure to achieve these ambitions and runs until 2027. Central to Amey’s offer as part of the framework will be data-led asset management, including implementing new technology to reduce carbon and improve air quality. Amey will also use its mobile network data capability to drive decision making and change travel patterns across the network. 

Speaking on the announcement, Alex Gilbert, managing director for consulting at Amey, added, “The NHS has an extensive and critical transport network that millions of people depend on each day. The development and delivery of net zero and decarbonisation strategies is essential to ensuring this network is sustainable now and for the future. Amey will bring its advisory & analytics expertise to the NHS and the wider public sector to not only design, implement and integrate the best possible transport infrastructure, but also to drive a fundamental shift in behaviours and embed a greener way of thinking across the NHS.”