St James’s Hospital, Ireland’s largest acute academic teaching hospital, has been awarded the internationally recognised Green Flag which acknowledges its long-term commitment to environmental sustainability.
The award is part of the Green Campus Programme which is operated in Ireland by An Taisce.
The programme aims to support hospitals, universities and other institutions in embedding sustainability across their operations.
The Green Flag award is the result of years of sustained effort across St James’s Hospital.
L-R: Prof. Mary Day, CEO, St James’s Hospital, Barry McKenna, Sustainability Manager, St James’s Hospital, Valentina Stampa, An Taisce, Aideen Cardiff, St James’s Hospital board member and Aidan Turley, Director of Facilities Manager, St James’s Hospital.
Since registering for the Green Campus Programme in 2018, the hospital has implemented the programme’s seven-step framework.
The framework is designed to improve environmental performance across key areas including transport, energy, waste and water, and to embed a culture of sustainability throughout the organisation
Energy efficiency in the hospital has improved by 34% through a range of measures including; LED lighting upgrades, high efficiency pumps, and the installation of a combined heat and power plant. There has been a corresponding fall in energy related carbon emissions of 34%.
In addition, through metering, monitoring, and managing its usage, the hospital has reduced water consumption by 42%.
Aideen Cardiff, St James’s Hospital board member, Prof. Mary Day, CEO, St James’s Hospital, Barry McKenna, Sustainability Manager, St James’s Hospital, Valentina Stampa, An Taisce
The hospital has also seen a significant increase in the number of staff commuting sustainably to the campus via public transport and bicycle.
Sustainability Manager, Barry McKenna, who led the project, said: “The staff buy-in has been outstanding with a major change in commuting behaviour, significant improvement in waste management, and reduction in water consumption.
“This is the result of the diligent efforts of our staff, like our Green Teams in Theatres and the Intensive Care Unit who piloted new initiatives.
“This led to remarkable results in waste management. One survey revealed that clinical waste declined by 68%, while general waste decreased by 104%.”
Following a rigorous evaluation process, the Green Campus panel of assessors visited the St James’s campus and met Facilities Management and its Green Teams.
The assessors praised the hospital for its accomplishments across the large and complex site, noting that the example set will inspire other large acute teaching hospitals
Education and Community Action Director in An Taisce, Cathy Baxter, said: “We are delighted to award a Green Flag to St James’s hospital. It is evident that the Green Campus programme is supported from the top down and across all sectors of the hospital.
“This level of support is critical if the programme is to continue to grow and develop over the coming years.”
Aideen Cardiff, St James’s Hospital board member, said,: “Meeting our emissions targets is a key step toward building a more sustainable and resilient hospital that is better equipped to deliver high-quality care.
“Earning the Green Flag is the culmination of years of dedication and teamwork across the hospital and we remain committed to driving further improvements in the years ahead.”
CEO of St James’s Hospital, Prof Mary Day, said: “This Green Flag is more than a symbol of sustainability- it reflects our deep commitment to ensuring we adopt greener practices in the delivery of our patient-centered care.
“We are proud to lead by example; our campus is evolving into a modern- co-located health and research hub, where environmental responsibility and clinical excellence go hand in hand.
“This Green Flag is only the beginning of our sustainability journey.”