Green Nursing Challenge 2025
The Green Nursing Challenge was a CSH led project to support nurses to lead on sustainable healthcare initiatives and implement improvements to patient care with additional benefits of reducing costs and carbon emissions.
The Green Nursing Challenge has been fully funded by Micro-Tech UK and is working in partnership with The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (former Queens Nursing Institute) and the Foundation of Nursing Studies.
The Challenge was a national adaptation of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s Green Specialty Challenge and Green Team Competition – an award-winning, tried & tested leadership and engagement programme to transform healthcare by cutting carbon, improving patient care and staff experience, and saving money. The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare has been successfully reducing environmental impact and building social value in healthcare through the competition for 9 years.
What is the Green Nursing Challenge?
The NHS committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040, extending this target to suppliers by 2045. As the largest and most trusted professional group in healthcare, nurses played a crucial role. Through changes in working practices, they led efforts to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare while improving outcomes and experiences for patients and staff.
The Green Nursing Challenge was a national competition promoting sustainable nursing practices to support the NHS Net Zero targets. Fully funded by Micro-Tech UK, and delivered in partnership with The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing and the Foundation of Nursing Studies, the project aligned Net Zero actions with clinical and patient priorities.
It aimed to improve outcomes and experiences, reduce costs, and lessen healthcare’s environmental impact. Using CSH’s SusQI approach, it engaged service users directly to identify sustainability and equity hotspots. Environmental, social, and economic benefits were measured at project level and modelled nationally.
Delivering the Green Nursing Challenge
The recruitment phase brought together six nursing teams from across the UK. Fully funded by Micro-Tech UK, the competition was open to all nursing professionals. Three teams were selected from community settings and three from secondary care, representing a broad range of nursing roles and experience.
Each team received mentoring and support from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) to develop, deliver, and evaluate Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) projects. The carbon reduction potential of these projects was estimated using process-based carbon footprinting, supplemented by environmentally extended input–output analysis where necessary.
Throughout the project phase, teams attended regular workshops supported by CSH staff. Following the final submission, all teams presented their work to a judging panel at a Celebration event, where a winner was announced. The projects were then shared by CSH and its partners to promote learning and wider impact.
Timeline & key dates
- Launch & Recruitment – 28th January 2025
- Workshops – April to May 2025
- Showcase event – 20th October 2025, 09:30am-12:30pm
- 1 year review impact analysis – To be published September 2026
The launch event
Our Launch Event went live on Teams on 28th January, with talks from CSH’s Lucy Brown, about why nurses are best placed to lead change; and from our Challenge partners Amanda Young from the Queen’s Nursing Institute and Joanne Bosanquet from the Foundation of Nursing Studies about why they’re collaborating with us.
Watch the video to learn more
The teams
Six nursing teams from across England have been selected to take part in the Green Nursing Challenge 2025. Each team recently completed a series of workshops led by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, introducing the Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) framework and exploring how to design and deliver projects with measurable environmental and patient care benefits.
The teams are now preparing to develop their project plans, with support from expert mentors, as they work towards implementing greener, more sustainable nursing practices in their settings.
The selected teams and their proposed project areas
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Developing a combined maternity and IBD clinic to reduce repeat appointments, streamline care, and cut associated carbon emissions.
Sheffield Progressive Care Unit
Trialling reusable kidney dishes to replace single-use alternatives, aiming to reduce waste and scale sustainable practice across the trust.
Oxfordshire Health NHS Foundation Trust, Planned and Preventative Care
Introducing continuous blood glucose monitoring to improve diabetes management at home and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital
Switching from IV to oral administration for certain medications and adopting reusable sheaths for trans-oesophageal echo probes to cut waste and reduce risks.
Lewisham Community & Primary Care Team
Designing a structured ‘Trial Without Catheter’ process to reduce catheter overuse, prevent complications, and minimise hospital interventions.
Birmingham Community Healthcare
Exploring the use of a digital app to support patients with long-term conditions—improving self-management, preventing deterioration, and reducing care-related emissions.
These projects reflect the leadership, creativity and commitment of nurses to creating a more sustainable future for healthcare.
The Green Nursing Showcase 2025
The Green Nursing Showcase was held on 20 October 2025, from 09:30 to 12:30, celebrating the outstanding work of six teams from the Green Nursing Challenge – an award-winning leadership and engagement programme dedicated to transforming healthcare.
The six clinical teams presented their Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) projects to a judging panel, focusing on key priorities identified through carbon footprinting, partner collaboration, and input from people with lived experience. Themes included valuing people’s time, supporting informed choices, improving access and experience for underserved groups, and addressing complex care, pelvic health, and continence — all aimed at reducing environmental harm and tackling health inequalities in nursing care.
Winning team
Winner: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — recognised for their close collaboration between professionals across both maternity and IBD services, working together to deliver more efficient, person-centred, and environmentally sustainable care.
Highly Commended: Oxfordshire Health NHS Foundation Trust for their joint District Nurse & Diabetic Nurse Specialist review service, optimising the quality of care for patients in the community, reducing harms and the need for hospital admissions.
Showcase outcomes and learning
The Green Nursing Showcase celebrated the inspiring work of the six project teams who took part in the Green Nursing Challenge 2025. Together, these teams are helping to shape more sustainable and equitable nursing care.
During the event, each clinical team presented their Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) projects. These focused on priority areas identified through collaboration with challenge partners, carbon footprinting analysis, and discussions with a lived experience group.
“ Nurses and midwives for me have always been the holders of hope, the voice of the vulnerable, and the champions of change. I believe you are very well placed to lead. Don’t undersell in any way your work… You can use what you’ve created in your projects to break down barriers for others. ”
Charlotte McArdle, Global nurse consultant and former CNO for Northern Ireland and DCNO at NHS England
The impact of this challenge has been significant, with an estimated £691,844 in cost and efficiency savings annually and 77,398 kgCO2e reduced annually, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 3,096 mature trees or 284 trips between London and Edinburgh in an average car.
To see all the video presentations from the showcase and case studies reports from each team project, please head to our dedicated page below.
Why is the Green Nursing Challenge important?
The NHS is responsible for 4% of the UKs carbon footprint, and is contributing to the environmental and ecological crisis. The effects of Climate change disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in society, further exacerbating health issues, and placing further strain on health services.
Climate change and healthcare inequalities are inextricably linked. Disadvantaged communities are often more exposed to environmental hazards, are less able to recover from these hazards, and often have reduced access to high-quality healthcare.
“All nurses should be thinking about how we protect our patients, our resources and our planet. Nurses are resourceful problem solvers and often see the hidden solutions to an issue. Taking part in the Green Nursing Challenge will be an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference and start to address some of the problems from the ground up.”
Amanda Young, Director of Nursing Programmes, The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing
Nurses can play a crucial role in achieving the NHS’ NetZero targets. By making changes in working practices, nurses can lead action to minimise the environmental harm created from healthcare services, and can help address health inequalities, improve outcomes and experiences, and contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system.
For more information please contact Angela Hayes, CSH’s project lead.