The NHS in England is committed to reducing its emission of greenhouse gases by 60% before the year 2050, the junior health minister Ivan Lewis announced last week. The target is in line with the national carbon emissions target set by the government in the Climate Change Bill currently before Parliament.

Mr Lewis said that England’s NHS is the largest public sector contributor in Europe to climate change, generating more than 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, almost as much as the entire province of Northern Ireland. The largest source of emissions, accounting for 60% of the total, is the procurement of goods and …