Keynote Talk: Dr Nick Watts and Martin Caunt
Greener NHS: Delivering a Net Zero Health Service
Dr Watts is the Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS, responsible for its commitment to deliver a world-class net zero emission health service. Based in London, he leads the Greener NHS team across the country, which focuses on improving the health of patients and the public through a robust and accelerated response to climate change and the broader sustainability agenda.
Nick is a medical doctor licensed in Australia and the UK, and has trained population health and public policy. He is a Member by Distinction of the Royal College of Physicians’ Faculty of Public Health, and an Honorary Associate Professor of University College London’s Institute for Global Health.
Prior to the National Health Service, Nick worked internationally as the Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown and the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, a collaboration of UN agencies and academic centres across the world.
Greener NHS: Delivering a Net Zero Health Service
Martin was appointed Deputy Director (Head of Unit) for the Greener NHS programme in September 2020, which is part of NHS England and Improvement’s Primary Care, Community Services and Strategy Directorate. This post supports the ongoing work of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit as it becomes the Greener NHS programme. The Greener NHS programme delivers programmes of work for the NHS and where relevant the wider health sector including delivering the LTP commitments in relation to carbon, waste and water, reducing single use plastics and reducing air pollution, developing and delivering a Net Zero plan for the NHS, supporting Regions, networks and STPs to embed changes across the sector, and analysis of the NHS’ emissions, including carbon and air pollutants, and use of plastics. Martin is a key member of the Greener NHS senior leadership team helping to manage its portfolio of work, set overall direction, shape the team, improve its processes and capabilities and ensure it has strong links across NHS England and other Arm’s Length Bodies. He is a leader and a mentor to a team of about 5-10 professionals and ambassador for the Greener NHS programme, helping to communicate our values and our work at meetings, seminars, conferences and other public events.