About Philip Tamuno
Philip Tamuno serves as the Joint Head of Sustainability, where he is tasked with spearheading and coordinating environmental sustainability programs. His role encompasses overseeing the execution of the NHS's Green Plan, aiming to foster sustainable practices across the organisation. His responsibilities include identifying strategic opportunities for environmental compliance and actively engaging with key stakeholders to promote and implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy.
What are the primary challenges in implementing sustainable practices within organisations, and how do you address them?
The main challenge is a lack of comprehensive knowledge about sustainability. While there's often passion for specific aspects like climate change or waste management, the tendency to focus narrowly can be a hurdle. Sustainability has evolved beyond just environmental protection to encompass a full spectrum of issues, including biodiversity and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
To address this, we've developed a multifaceted approach. We've linked our sustainability efforts to the clinical sustainability model, examining four key dimensions. We've appointed clinical fellows whose main focus is global health and well-being, helping us integrate sustainability into our practices. This approach has been particularly effective because our clinical colleagues understand its relevance to their work.
We've also implemented a 'green scale' approach, providing resources and helping staff understand why we should focus on these issues. We offer CPD courses developed by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), which delve into developing business cases that consider both qualitative and quantitative aspects of sustainability.
The key is to understand what's relevant to your organisation and analyse what works best for your specific context. Our strategy is dynamic and tailored to our organisation's needs, focusing on empowering staff, creating leaders, and integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations.
Sustainability has evolved beyond just environmental protection. Now, we're addressing the full spectrum of sustainability issues—climate change, biodiversity, and aligning closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
How do you balance environmental goals with financial and operational objectives within your corporate strategy?
It's crucial to see sustainability as central to our strategy. We focus on initiatives that provide both environmental and financial benefits requiring both initial investment and central integration. You need board ownership and executive buy-in. When leadership is passionate about sustainability, it becomes much easier to promote and integrate sustainable practices across the board.
Consider the ultra-clean air zone in London. It's a costly initiative, but it addresses serious health issues where poor air quality has had tragic consequences. This necessitates a broader view where we balance immediate costs against long-term health and environmental benefits.
In essence, balancing environmental goals with financial and operational objectives requires a comprehensive approach where sustainability is woven into the fabric of organisational strategy. It's about integrating it into every facet of the organisation, ensuring that every department recognizes and acts on their role in advancing sustainability.
How important is supply chain visibility in achieving your sustainability goals, and what approaches do you use to address this?
Supply chain visibility is absolutely critical. Our supply chain accounts for about 80% of our carbon footprint. Everything from the equipment we purchase to the food and medicine we provide to patients is foundational. To make a difference, it's essential to specify our requirements clearly and influence the market accordingly.
We're currently developing a sustainable procurement guide in collaboration with our procurement team. This guide will be tailored to each of our major procurement activities, making it simple and relevant. The key is to understand the focus of each aspect of procurement and its relevance to our carbon footprint. We can't achieve net zero without engaging with our supply chain.
We need to look at various aspects: innovation, responsible consumption, reuse, and circular economy principles. We also need to consider the entire value chain and focus on areas we can readily influence. One challenge is the perception that sustainability adds cost. To counter this, I'm presenting case studies of organisations that have successfully implemented sustainable practices.
The goal is to get to a point where each individual is asking questions about procurement: Do we need to procure this? How can we reduce? How can we embed circular economy principles into our healthcare services? It's a complex task, especially given that we're dealing with multiple trusts with different governance structures. We need to move at a pace that's realistic and responsible, ensuring we have proper systems and reporting structures in place.
It's crucial for those involved in project management and central roles to see sustainability as central to their strategy. Otherwise, sustainability becomes just another checkbox, something we try to achieve without full commitment.
How do you engage and motivate employees in sustainability initiatives?
Our approach is about empowering colleagues to become leaders in sustainability. Fortunately, as a fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, this allows us to deliver courses like 'Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce' in-house at a fraction of the commercial cost.
Those who completed these courses often became environmental champions. We then provide them with more tools to become independent, offering a more comprehensive five-day course to deepen their understanding. Those who completed this training often took on roles coordinating environmental champions or engaging in our environmental management systems.
We also provide tailored training depending on the role. It's about seeing the big picture, not just carbon emissions but a wider array of environmental issues. This approach has been incredibly effective, with overwhelming turnout for these courses. By empowering our staff with knowledge and tools, we've created a network of sustainability leaders across the organisation, each contributing to our overall goals in their own way.
What role do data analysis and visualisation tools play in shaping sustainable environmental strategies?
Data is absolutely crucial because everything hinges on it. When we discuss sustainability, it's all about the data—both qualitative and quantitative. Without data, we can't define sustainability. We need a baseline to understand where we are starting from and to set clear, measurable targets. This helps us to monitor our progress and guide our strategies effectively.
We've developed a carbon dashboard at our Trust. The main challenge is creating an effective digital solution that enhances our processes, especially in procurement. Our focus is on using this dashboard as a management tool, standardising our approach to data management and digitalization.
Looking forward, I believe the role of artificial intelligence will be crucial, especially in data management. AI can enable smarter processes that are much needed in our field. For example, when designing buildings, imagine a system where the design process itself predicts the carbon footprint. This kind of integration could significantly ease the burden, allowing us to focus more effectively on enhancing our sustainability practices.
Our approach is about empowering colleagues, not just instructing them, to become leaders in sustainability. Everyone needs to lead if we are to address the broad environmental challenges we face.
About Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust is a vital healthcare provider serving the communities of Barking, Havering, and Redbridge in London, United Kingdom. This Trust operates two main hospitals: King George Hospital in Ilford and Queen's Hospital in Romford. It offers a comprehensive range of acute healthcare services, including emergency and elective surgeries, maternity services, and specialist medical care. The Trust is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and healthcare delivery by focusing on innovation, quality care, and community engagement. It plays a crucial role in training and educating healthcare professionals to ensure a high standard of medical care for the future.