Lancet Countdown Executive Director Dr Nick Watts to Chair a New NHS Net Zero Expert Task Force

Dr Nick Watts, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown will Chair a new expert task force that will guide the NHS in becoming the world’s first major health service to achieve ‘net zero.’

Climate change is a major threat to human health — and as the biggest employer in the country, the NHS has recognised that it is part of the problem and the solution. Chief Simon Stevens has announced the NHS and its staff will step up action to tackle the climate “health emergency” this year with a new campaign ‘For a greener NHS’.

The NHS in England is the only health-care system in the world that is routinely reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, and the expert panel will look at changes the NHS can make in its own activities, its supply chain and through wider partnerships to achieve net zero.

Dr Nick Watts, chair of the new NHS Expert Panel, said:

“The impact of climate change on our health is there for all to see and at the Lancet Countdown, we have amassed the evidence to encourage health systems across the world to take action.“The NHS in England leads the world in taking action on climate change and improving public health along the way, so I am delighted to have been asked by Sir Simon Stevens to help chart a route to a net zero health service.“Everyone who works in healthcare has a responsibility to take action on the health emergency posed by climate change, and I encourage all NHS staff to join the campaign to feed in their ideas and help drive this forward.”

Learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved here.