Sustainability report card 2025: the RCP’s commitment to environmental sustainability

As a royal college and employer, the RCP is committed to minimising the environmental impacts of its operations and is continually seeking innovative ways to improve its sustainability.

The RCP’s first progress report gives an overview of the RCP’s current activities against the ‘UKHACC Commitments’, developed by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) to help health organisations take steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It also sets out the action it will take over the coming year.

Work to deliver the UKHACC commitments is the latest development in the RCP’s ambition to improve its sustainability and drive progress. In April 2021, the RCP announced that it had ended all fossil fuel investments two years earlier than planned.

In the report card, the RCP pledges to undertake a piece of research into the green banks available that would meet its banking requirements and risk profile, as well as highlighting the RCP’s work to campaign on mitigating and adapting to the planetary crisis.

The research into the green banks will be completed in 2025 and  shape any next steps in the RCP moving to greener banking.  

Other highlights in the progress report include:

• Planned works across the RCP’s London headquarters – a Grade I listed 1964 building designed by Sir Denys Lasdun – to enhance its internal infrastructure, aiming to increase efficiencies and reduce energy consumption.
• The RCP being a supporting partner of the successful bid from the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and the University of Exeter to establish a national hub delivering research to address the challenge of decarbonising healthcare pathways.
• A new RCP travel policy that says domestic air travel is discouraged due to its impact on the environment and only allowed in exceptional circumstances with the approval of an Executive Director. The RCP has committed to review the impact of this new policy on domestic flights a year from its introduction and publish an update.
• The RCP’s work on its first ever ‘Green Physician Toolkit’ published in 2024 with high level actions to improve the sustainability of doctors’ practice and infographics explaining the link between climate and health.
• The London site using 100% renewable electricity (REGO certified) since October 2024
• The internal floors of The Spine in Liverpool becoming WELL Certified™ at the Platinum level in October 2024 - the only venue in Liverpool to hold the title.
• Work to improve the RCP’s waste management, with five worm bins at the RCP London site to process kitchen waste and produce natural liquid plant feed. The RCP’s recycling rate has also increased 2% from 2023 and 2024 (to 80%) and now has a gold rating from the waste supplier.  

The RCP has committed to publish annual updates on its work to improve its environmental sustainability.

Interim co-chief executive Tom Baker said:

“The RCP is committed to minimising the environmental impacts of its operations. The climate emergency is a health emergency, and the RCP has a vital role to play in ensuring that the work we do for physicians is balanced with our environmental responsibilities.

“Today’s progress report shows the good work we are doing - such as campaigning and supporting our members to practise more sustainable medicine - as well as where we have further to go, like exploring greener banking options. We are committed to this agenda and look forward to delivering on the plans we have to drive further progress over the coming year.”

Royal College of Physicians special adviser on healthcare sustainability and climate change, Dr Mark Harber said:

“I welcome the RCP’s report card setting out the work it is doing against each of the UKHACC Commitments. Driving progress on sustainability within healthcare is essential if we are to protect both the health of patients and the health of our planet.  

“Our Green Physician Toolkit, with practical actions to help physicians reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare delivery, is just one example of how the RCP is supporting members to embed sustainability into clinical practice. There is more we can and will do. With the health impacts of climate change increasingly visible, I am committed to working across the RCP, and through our sustainability in healthcare and climate change advisory group, to drive further progress.”

Read or download the first progress report.