GrEAN (The Green Environmental Ambulance Network) is an essential group that is working to deliver cost savings and carbon reduction that result in improved patient care.
It is composed of a network of fleet, estates, ancillary services, finance, and procurement as well as paramedics and upper management from the 13 UK ambulance services.
GrEAN is working towards creating a standard best practise across all the ambulance services across the country. Its aims are to:
- Raise awareness of carbon consumption
- Reduce the impact of the ambulance service on air emissions, carbon emissions and public spending
- Share information on trials being carried out across the country
- Quantify the amount that of money and carbon that can be saved through the carbon management and reduction programme
- Improve ambulance fuel economy and aerodynamics
- Network effectively to reduce the carbon footprint of the British ambulance services
- Save money through carbon reduction
Having identified that the UK Ambulance Service is very different to the rest of the NHS and faces many different challenges in relation to carbon reduction, GrEAN was established in May 2011 by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). The initial GrEAN meeting was held at their HQ in July 2011 – the first time that all the UK ambulance services had come together to discuss nationwide carbon reduction.
Activity and Progress
GrEAN is aiming to meet on a 6 monthly basis and encourages people to attend from all departments including fleet, estates, procurement and supplies.
A GrEAN Passport has been put together under the umbrella of GrEAN, advising on best practise for carbon reduction. It has been passed to internal comms teams and has been personalised, approved and distributed to each service. You can read a draft copy of it here
