Sustainable communications
The climate emergency undermines the foundations of good health and deepens inequalities for our most deprived communities.
The NHS touches every community in Scotland. We have a responsibility to use our abilities as a large employer, a major buyer, and one of the most recognised brands in the world – an ‘anchor’ organisation – to protect and support our communities’ health in every way that we can.
What are we doing to act as an anchor institution for our local community?
The Anchors Strategic Plan was submitted to Scottish Government in October 2023. The basis of the plan covers 3 key pillars of anchor activity including workforce, procurement, and estates.
Specific examples of delivery include pre-employment work programmes, i.e. Apprenticeships, placements and work experience for local pupils. These plans are supplemented by strategic activity to address West Dunbartonshire’s grand challenges including:
- Population decline.
- Economic recovery.
- Inequality and poverty (including child poverty).
A recent example is NHSGJ’s role as a lead organisation within the recently formed Family Prosperity Network, which is a consortium of key stakeholders to address child poverty challenges in West Dunbartonshire via collaborative interventions.
What are we doing to improve the resilience of our local community to climate change?
We are continuing to drive down our greenhouse gas emissions to ensure we reach our target of
net zero by 2040.
We are establishing a Biodiversity and Greenspace Group to further enhance our estate and
provide the local community with a safe space for walking.
We are continually monitoring our climate change risk assessment and adapting to the impacts of
the changing climate.
Procurement continue to work with suppliers in reducing and, where possible, consolidation
deliveries to not only reduce carbon emissions from reduced travel, but to reduce the number of
commercial vehicles travelling through our community to the hospital.
