The health care estate in the UK is one of the largest single emitters of carbon dioxide in the UK, day to day operations accounting for about 5.4% of the UK’s total emissions. As a core health care estate, with over 300 buildings, CHP has an important role to play in the national decarbonisation ambitions and continuing to deliver fit for the future, sustainable, healthcare facilities.
Aligning with the NHS target of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040, CHP are committing to achieve Net Zero Carbon for the LIFT estate by 2040 and 2030 for our corporate functions. Our CHP Green Plan sets out how CHP will deliver Net Zero Carbon, a GreenerNHS and wider sustainability initiatives improving the social, economic, and environmental situation for the communities we serve.
Our Green vision is to put sustainability at the heart of our company to ensure our estate and operations are as efficient, sustainable and resilient as they can possibly be. We are committed to delivering sustainable facilities which are safe, accessible and enable exceptional patient care.
Sustainable Facilities are one of the five strategic aims within our CHP Business Plan 2025/26 and sustainability is one of our four corporate social responsibility pillars.
As part of the NHS family, CHP are also committed to supporting our customers with their sustainability ambitions to meet the #GreenerNHS net zero aspirations. We engage at a regional level with ICSs to understand their priorities and requirements of their place-based health and care sector supporting them to achieve their GreenerNHS aspirations.
In March 2026, CHP published our 'Green Plan Driving a Sustainable Future'. This Green Plan sets out how CHP will contribute to the NHS’s Zero Carbon commitment and how we will continue to provide sustainable, fit for purpose healthcare facilities. We will work to reduce our environmental impact and help tackle climate change. We will continue to reduce our carbon emissions and environmental impact whilst leveraging opportunities to influence emissions arising from our LIFTCo partners, supply chain, and actions of our employees and tenants.
In 2022 CHP published our 'Green Plan: A Greener CHP a Greener NHS'. We are embedding our Green Plan into our business, committing resources, supporting staff, and taking action to ensure it is a success.
In August 2021, CHP opened Foleshill the first UK Passivhaus health centre built using specially designed Portakabin modules. The £3.3m, 619m² primary care building serves up to 10,000 patients in inner-city Coventry with five consulting rooms and two treatment rooms. The building is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the NHS estate.
CHP’s Foleshill Health Centre is the first passivhaus health centre in the UK, built from 14 specially designed Portakabin modules in only 10 months in 2020-21 during the pandemic. 30% quicker than a traditional health care building construction. Energy consumption at Foleshill is equivalent to an average 4-bed house but it is four times the size. The energy consumption is less than a third of a similar size conventional health centre.
This case study explores the key takeaways from this pioneering project, specifically focusing on the benefits of Passivhaus design principles and modern methods of construction (MMC) in delivering high-performance, low-energy, environmentally friendly, sustainable healthcare facilities. Constructed from prefabricated modules by Portakabin, the entire build process was completed in only 10 months, a 30% reduction in time compared to traditional methods.
As Recycle Week 2026 (14-20 September) highlights the importance of reducing waste and recycling more effectively, Community Health Partnerships (CHP) is celebrating progress across its
Reducing energy use is one of the simplest ways CHP building users can help lower carbon emissions, reduce costs and support more sustainable healthcare environments.