Carbon Reduction Plan

Executive summary

As a fully remote and virtual clinic, we recognise that our digital-first model already significantly reduces the environmental impact typically associated with traditional healthcare delivery, particularly in relation to patient and staff travel, estate emissions, and physical resource consumption. 

Nonetheless, there is more we can do, and we acknowledge our responsibility to contribute actively to environmental sustainability and to minimise our remaining carbon footprint in line with the Greener NHS strategy. This Green Plan outlines our approach to reducing emissions, embedding sustainability into our governance and operations, and supporting the health system's broader climate resilience goals. 

Our vision is to become one of the UK's most environmentally responsible digital mental health providers. We believe that virtual models of care, when designed thoughtfully, can deliver better outcomes for patients while significantly reducing the environmental burden of care. Through leadership commitment, digital innovation, and sustainable procurement, we aim to demonstrate how remote services can support both clinical excellence and environmental stewardship. 

We are at an early stage in our sustainability journey and have begun by assessing our likely emissions sources, engaging our team, and reviewing opportunities for improvement. We have estimated our baseline carbon footprint which we will refine over the next 12 months as our operations grow and our data and insights continue to mature. We will implement a range of targeted actions across our workforce, digital infrastructure, procurement processes, and day-to-day operations. This Green Plan will be reviewed annually, with progress monitored by our senior leadership team. 

By aligning our operational model with NHS net zero goals, we will not only reduce environmental harm but also contribute to the wider social value mission of the NHS. This commitment reflects the values of our organisation and the expectations of our staff, service users, and commissioning partners. 

Vision and leadership 

At Noodle, we view sustainability not as a standalone agenda but as a core responsibility that complements our mission to deliver accessible, high-quality mental health care. Our vision is to embed environmental responsibility across all aspects of our remote ADHD service and to act as a sector leader in low-carbon, virtual healthcare delivery. 

Leadership commitment 

Our leadership team has formally adopted the NHS net zero commitments and designated a named executive-level sponsor for environmental sustainability: 

• Sustainability Lead: Kat Frize, Chief Operating Officer, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Green Plan. 

• Executive oversight is maintained via Board-level updates, with progress reported in our internal governance framework and risk registers. 

This leadership commitment ensures that sustainability considerations are factored into key decisions on procurement, digital infrastructure, staffing, and service design. We recognise that leadership at all levels - strategic, operational, and clinical - is essential for embedding change and maintaining momentum. 

Integration with organisational values and governance 

Our values - patient-centred care, social responsibility, and clinical excellence - are inherently aligned with sustainability. We are committed to ensuring that our services are not only clinically effective and affordable but also environmentally sustainable. We will work to ensure our governance arrangements reflect this, including: 

• Embedding sustainability into policy review processes 

• Considering environmental impacts in our procurement decisions and supplier contracts 

• Including environmental objectives in our organisational risk register and annual business planning cycle 

Setting the standard for virtual sustainability 

As a provider of entirely remote ADHD services, we are uniquely placed to demonstrate how digital-first care can support the NHS's sustainability ambitions. We intend to set a high standard for sustainability in virtual mental health services by: 

• Transparently estimating and reporting our carbon footprint using appropriate digital-sector proxies and NHS toolkits 

• Selecting low-impact suppliers and partners who share our values 

• Promoting sustainable working practices among our remote workforce, such as low-energy working environments, responsible IT usage, and minimal reliance on paper or print 

• Encouraging staff engagement in environmental initiatives and developing a network of sustainability advocates across our teams 

This plan marks the beginning of our formal sustainability programme. It reflects the growing expectation - from commissioners, regulators, and patients - that all NHS-funded providers actively contribute to the health system's climate objectives. Noodle is committed to being part of the solution.

Baseline and carbon footprint

Although Noodle operates entirely remotely, we recognise that digital and virtual services still produce carbon emissions through energy use, IT infrastructure, procurement, and indirect travel. Understanding and reducing our environmental impact begins with establishing a clear baseline. 

Emissions sources 

As a remote provider, our primary sources of emissions include: 

• Digital infrastructure: cloud storage, video consultations, online systems, and associated data centre usage 

• Staff working environments: home energy use, heating, cooling, and device usage 

• Equipment and IT: procurement, maintenance, and end-of-life disposal of laptops, headsets, routers, and other tech 

• Courier and postal services: any physical documents, medical equipment, prescriptions and pharmacy deliveries 

• Business travel: occasional face-to-face meetings, training, or conferences attended by staff 

• Supplier emissions: indirect emissions from third-party providers, such as software platforms, outsourced services, or cloud providers 

Estimating our carbon footprint 

We are currently collecting data to produce a carbon footprint estimate using tools aligned with NHS guidance, such as the Small NHS Carbon Footprint Tool. Given our digital-first model, we will make proportionate use of proxy metrics recommended for small providers, including: 

• Average homeworking emissions per staff member (based on energy assumptions) 

• Cloud computing impact per gigabyte of usage 

• Estimated emissions associated with IT procurement and refresh cycles 

• Indirect emissions estimates for postal/courier use 

By using conservative and transparent assumptions, we will produce a baseline that enables year-on-year tracking and informs targeted reduction goals. 

Avoided emissions 

Our remote model already contributes to the NHS's carbon goals by avoiding emissions associated with: 

• Patient and staff travel to and from clinics 

• Operation of clinical estates (lighting, heating, water, waste) 

• On-site equipment and consumables 

We will report both our actual footprint and estimated emissions avoided, to give a clear picture of the overall environmental benefit of our care model.

Governance and reporting

Sustainability at Noodle is integrated into our wider governance framework to ensure accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. Our leadership team is committed to embedding sustainability into our organisational culture and day-to-day operations. 

Governance structure 

• Sustainability Lead: Our named lead (Chief Operating Officer) is responsible for oversight of the Green Plan. 

• Executive responsibility: Sustainability is discussed quarterly at board-level meetings, alongside quality, safety, and performance. 

• Operational oversight: Progress is tracked by our governance team, with sustainability risks and opportunities captured in our risk register. 

Monitoring and performance 

We will track: 

• Carbon footprint estimates (annually updated) 

• Number of sustainability initiatives implemented 

• Procurement decisions influenced by environmental criteria 

• Staff engagement and training completion on sustainability 

• Progress toward annual carbon reduction targets 

Reporting 

We will: 

• Review and update this Green Plan annually 

• Report on sustainability as part of our internal quality reports 

• Share updates with commissioners and stakeholders as part of our contractual obligations under Service Condition 18 

• Engage in Integrated Care System (ICS) sustainability forums or working groups, where appropriate 

Risk and assurance 

Sustainability risks (e.g. reliance on energy-intensive cloud services, lack of staff awareness) will be captured in our operational risk register and mitigated through: 

• Staff awareness campaigns 

• Digital service provider due diligence 

• Inclusion of sustainability in procurement and contract reviews 

Our aim is to ensure environmental performance is part of our assurance processes, including any internal or external audits. 

Net zero targets and action plan

Noodle fully supports the NHS's commitment to achieving: 

• Net zero by 2040 for the emissions we directly control 

• Net zero by 2045 for emissions we can influence 

As a digital mental health service, our model inherently avoids many of the high-emission activities typical of in-person care. Nonetheless, we are committed to reducing the carbon impact of our operations and aligning with NHS trajectories. 

Net zero ambition 

We aim to: 

• Establish a robust emissions baseline by the end of 2025 

• Achieve a 25% reduction in our operational carbon footprint by 2030, against our 2025 baseline 

• Offset any residual emissions from 2030 onwards using certified carbon reduction schemes, if required 

• Report annually on progress and update our targets every 2 years 

Key actions: 2025–2026 (prioritised and proportionate) 

Priority areas 

Following the Greener NHS framework, we have identified the following priority areas relevant to our virtual clinic model: 

Workforce and system leadership

• Sustainability responsibilities are built into leadership roles. 

• All staff will be introduced to our Green Plan during onboarding. 

• We will explore developing "Green Champions" to promote environmentally responsible practices across the organisation.

Sustainable models of care

• Our entire clinical model is based on remote delivery, which avoids travel, estate use, and materials consumption. 

• We will quantify emissions avoided by our virtual care model and advocate for digital-first care where clinically appropriate. 

Digital transformation

• We will optimise our use of cloud computing and digital tools to reduce data storage and processing emissions. 

• We will work with IT providers that can demonstrate carbon-aware practices (e.g. green hosting, renewable energy use). 

• Our patient portal and app will remain paperless and support remote monitoring, coaching, and medication adherence, reducing the need for physical interventions. 

Travel and transport

• We have almost eliminated patient and staff travel through remote care. 

• Business travel is minimal and monitored; carbon-efficient travel will be prioritised for any essential in-person events. 

• Staff are encouraged to use public transport where possible, and no company cars are provided.

Medicines and prescribing

• While prescribing itself has limited direct emissions, we will engage with pharmacy partners to encourage:  

• Efficient packaging and courier services 

• Avoidance of unnecessary paper leaflets or postal duplication 

Where appropriate, we will educate patients on sustainable repeat prescribing and digital prescription access.

Procurement and supply chain

• We will update our procurement processes to include environmental weighting in decision-making 

• Preference will be given to suppliers with demonstrated sustainability credentials (e.g. ISO 14001). 

• We will reduce unnecessary hardware refresh cycles and encourage repair/reuse wherever possible (e.g. through recent programme for RAM upgrades rather than replacement of slower PCs).

Waste and circular economy 

• Noodle operates paperless by default 

• IT equipment and digital waste will be recycled or securely repurposed where possible. 

• Staff will be encouraged to reduce energy use, avoid printing, and extend the life of their home office setups.

Adaptation and resilience

• We are developing climate resilience measures, including:  

• Business continuity plans for extreme weather or climate events (e.g. power outages, heatwaves) 

• Cyber-resilience and IT continuity as part of digital infrastructure planning 

• We will track climate-related risks through our organisational risk register.

Staff engagement and training

Staff engagement is essential to the success of our Green Plan. At Noodle, we believe that empowering our team to understand and contribute to our environmental goals will build a stronger, values-led culture and accelerate progress toward net zero. 

Awareness and involvement 

We will foster a culture where sustainability is part of everyday thinking by: 

• Sharing our Green Plan with all staff via induction and regular updates 

• Including sustainability in internal communications, e.g. team meetings, newsletters, and noticeboards (virtual and intranet) 

• Highlighting achievements and progress to build momentum and pride in the organisation's environmental contribution 

• Inviting ideas and feedback from staff on how to improve our sustainability efforts 

• Encouraging staff to consider environmental impact when making decisions related to procurement, IT use, travel, and remote working

Staff training 

We will introduce a sustainability training programme that includes: 

• Add a short mandatory e-learning module on environmental sustainability and the NHS net zero agenda, delivered to all staff during onboarding 

• Optional in-depth resources and NHS toolkits for staff with specific operational roles (e.g. procurement, IT, governance) 

• A "Sustainability Tips" resource for remote workers covering home energy use, digital waste, sustainable device use, and travel reduction

Green Champions 

From 2026 onwards, we aim to establish a network of Green Champions drawn from across the organisation to: 

• Lead local initiatives 

• Act as points of contact for sustainability queries 

• Promote staff involvement in green activities 

• Support internal audits and reporting 

Staff-led ideas will be a key part of our Green Plan refresh each year. 

Monitoring and improvement

To ensure accountability and continual progress, we are embedding environmental performance monitoring into our broader quality and risk management framework. 

Metrics and indicators 

We will track a core set of sustainability indicators and review them quarterly. Initial metrics include: 

• Annual carbon footprint (with breakdown by source: IT, travel, cloud use, procurement) 

• Number and type of green initiatives implemented each year 

• Percentage of staff who complete sustainability induction training 

• Number of contracts with environmental criteria applied 

• Avoided emissions through virtual care model (travel and estate comparisons) 

As our data matures, we will develop more advanced indicators such as carbon cost per patient, emissions per FTE, or emissions per consultation. 

Audit and assurance 

• We will conduct an annual sustainability audit aligned with NHS toolkits or ICS standards 

• Results will be reviewed at executive level and used to inform the next year's Green Plan update 

• Sustainability will be included as a standing item in our internal governance cycle and reported alongside other quality and compliance metrics 

Continuous improvement 

Our Green Plan will be updated every 12 months to reflect: 

• New data on our carbon footprint 

• Staff and patient feedback 

• External guidance from the NHS, Greener NHS team, or ICS leadership 

• Emerging risks and opportunities in climate adaptation 

We will also remain alert to new innovations in virtual care that can enhance our environmental performance without compromising clinical quality.

Partnerships and system working 

Noodle recognises that environmental sustainability is a shared responsibility across the NHS and wider health and care system. As a virtual provider, we are committed to working collaboratively with Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), commissioners, and partner organisations to support local and national net zero ambitions. 

Working with commissioners 

We will: 

• Share our Green Plan and annual sustainability reports with NHS commissioners to meet Service Condition 18 requirements 

• Actively engage in conversations with NHS partners on how remote models of care can contribute to system-wide emissions reductions 

• Offer transparent information about our carbon footprint and reduction strategies in tender processes and provider assurance submissions 

• Support NHS-led sustainability and innovation projects where our expertise in virtual care adds value 

Contributing to ICS sustainability goals 

We will seek opportunities to: 

• Participate in sustainability working groups or digital provider forums hosted by ICSs 

• Share best practice on virtual care models and their potential to reduce patient and staff travel, estate use, and waste 

• Offer support or collaboration to NHS Trusts seeking to transition services to more digital-first or hybrid models 

• Align our sustainability reporting and carbon footprint calculations with ICS or regional approaches, where applicable 

Working with suppliers 

Our sustainability goals extend to the wider supply chain. We will: 

• Prioritise environmentally responsible suppliers (e.g. ISO 14001 certified, renewable-powered data centres, ethical procurement standards) 

• Include environmental criteria in all major procurement and contract review processes by 2026 

• Request emissions data or sustainability statements from suppliers where relevant (e.g. IT providers, courier services, pharmacy partners) 

By promoting shared values across our partnerships, we aim to create a ripple effect that supports the NHS's broader decarbonisation goals

Appendices

Appendix A: Carbon footprint assumptions and methodology 

We will use the Small NHS Carbon Footprint Tool to establish our baseline, drawing on NHS Digital and GHG Protocol estimates for: 

• Homeworking emissions 

• Data centre usage 

• Digital procurement 

• Business travel 

Where exact figures are unavailable, we will use conservative sector proxies or work with suppliers to obtain more accurate estimates. 

Appendix B: Risk log 

Appendix C: Glossary 

• Net zero: The balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. 

• Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions:  

• Scope 1: Direct emissions (e.g. on-site gas use – not applicable for Noodle) 

• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity 

• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions (e.g. supply chain, homeworking) 

• ISO 14001: International standard for environmental management systems