Sustainability
Mission Statement
The ABHI Sustainability Group recognises and agrees with the need to deliver healthcare in a more sustainable way. HealthTech presents significant opportunities to advance this goal and the industry is committed to supporting the NHS to deliver its net zero strategy. To do this, we will be a collaborative partner, delivering evidence-based and impact focused work that enhances the education of the industry, while working with all stakeholders to ensure that requirements placed on suppliers are proportionate.
We will aim to balance the patient, population and planetary needs to optimise outcomes for all.
Leadership
- Chair: Michelle Sullivan, Boston Scientific
- Vice Chair: Dan Coole, Surgical Holdings
Achievements
- Publication of the report, HealthTech and Sustainability: The Opportunities and Challenges for the Sector, utilised to outline both the barriers to overcome and where positive change has already happened in reducing the sectors impact on the environment.
- Recognised as a representative and knowledgeable industry collective to engage with the wider sustainable healthcare ecosystem, such as academia, government and the healthcare system.
Priorities
- Maintain engagement with the NHS Sustainable Procurement Team on the NHS England Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, in particular working in collaboration to reach attainable yet ambitious policies for the 2027 and 2028 milestones. Ensure 2-3 workshops are conducted throughout 2025 between NHS England and ABHI members.
- Continue to provide educational materials for members, communicate any changes in sustainability related requirements, ensure cross-sector learning opportunities and signpost to relevant initiatives. Minimum of one educational webinar per quarter.
- Ensure international collaboration and, where possible, alignment on both national and global sustainability requirements that apply to the HealthTech sector, in particular feeding into work of the Global Medical Technology Alliance (GMTA) Sustainability Committee. The group to prepare a list of asks before the GMTA meeting in Q2.
- In particular following the change of government, the group to feed into all ABHI responses to government consultations that may affect the sector, such as through Defra or the Cabinet Office.
- Following the publication of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Design for Life Roadmap, provide industry expertise in the implementation of its 30 actions to enable commercially viable models of circular HealthTech devices. ABHI and DHSC to meet quarterly to update on progress.
Useful Resources
ABHI has produced a Sustainability Framework for Action, developed to aid ABHI members with their own sustainability journey. Access it here.
Click here to view the latest updates, minutes and future meeting dates for the group.
Catch up on our Becoming Carbon Literate Series:
- Focus on The Social Value Model
- Focus on Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions
- Focus on Carbon Reduction Plans
- Focus on Care Pathways
- Focus on Circularity
- Focus on Lifecycle Assessments
Consultation Responses:
- October 2022. Net Zero Review Call for Evidence - Consultation Response.
Get Involved
To join the ABHI Sustainability Group, contact addie.macgregor@abhi.org.uk 
"The NHS has stated their intent to become the world’s first carbon net zero national health system by 2045. As the ABHI Sustainability group, we find ourselves with a unique global responsibility to build a meaningful path to Net Zero for the HealthTech industry. Our industry is a key and vital ally to enable the NHS to achieve this worthy goal. It is incumbent upon us to discover the route to Net Zero together with both NHS and government partners, whilst maintaining quality and patient outcomes. The coming few years will be instrumental in creating both the evidence and relevant collaborations to achieve this in a meaningful way.”
Michelle Sullivan, Head of Public Affairs UK & Ireland, Boston Scientific