Has lockdown given us a glimpse into a cleaner, greener, healthier world?

There is an uncomfortable truth within the undeniable tragedy of the COVID-19 crisis: It has made some things better.

This in no way negates the sacrifices and suffering that has been endured. However, I believe it is beholden on us to look for learnings.

For example, the crisis has given the NHS the recognition it deserves, making heroes of the healthcare teams who work tirelessly all year round to save lives.

It has streamlined numerous NHS processes, reinforcing the need to embrace digital solutions that have the potential to create a more sustainable service with long term advantages for patients.

And today, on World Environment Day, it’s important to acknowledge the impact COVID-19 has had on our planet. With fewer cars on the road and almost no planes in the sky, we have less pollution and cleaner air, bringing health benefits to millions.

However, we are all seeing the dramatic impact on our economy with many companies facing the reality that they will not be able to recover from the lockdown. Job losses and the impact on physical and emotional wellbeing are already being felt.

Which begs the question…

How do we maintain the benefits of lockdown and rebuild the economy, without having to endure a global health emergency?

How can we take the learnings from this crisis and use them to create an ultimately improved world?

How can businesses learn from the experience and create more sustainable and potentially more profitable organisations?

As the NHS recovers from the impact of the COVID crisis, it’s important the healthcare industry continues look to the future.

At BI, we have a team dedicated to exploring and delivering Joint Working opportunities, particularly looking at how we can pilot new models of care to forge sustainable solutions. Additionally, we partner with software companies and digital innovators, delivering practical solutions designed to streamline the system and, most importantly, improve patient outcomes.

Importantly, we cannot take our eyes off the ball when it comes to the environment. A recent poll by IPSOS (April 2020) reveals that 71% of adults globally feel climate change is as serious as COVID-19. The challenge of global warming may not be so immediate. Nonetheless, it remains.

The UK has an ambition to be net zero by 2050. That gives us 30 years. And we all have a part to play.

Businesses can continue to make good green decisions, right now, regardless of current circumstances. 

Although the COVID crisis and our response to it has demanded much of our attention at BI in recent months, we haven’t forgotten about our responsibilities towards the environment. Last year, we committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation in the UK and Ireland by offsetting our operational emissions. This was an important first phase in improving our environmental credentials, contributing to NHS carbon reduction targets and the health of the planet as a whole.

In recent weeks, we have stepped up our commitment; investing in a long term green plan focusing on the reduction of emissions rather than off-setting, establishing a strategy and roadmap to become a net zero business as quickly as possible.

Net zero targets for companies and for the country may be achievable sooner than we think, given the lifestyle changes we’ve all had to make. We are currently staying home more, driving less, flying almost never. However, it will be interesting to see how long these behaviour changes continue once the rules are relaxed. We, as a business, will be considering the broader context of this as we develop our net zero strategy, balancing reality with ambition.

Likewise, it will be fascinating to witness the moves made by governments around the world as they recover from the immediate emergency and re-focus on the simmering threat of climate change.

COP 26 is now scheduled to go ahead in November 2021. This will give global leaders the space they need to reflect on what might be done to help achieve the collective ambitions set out in the Paris Agreement – namely limiting global warming to no more than 2°, aiming for 1.5°.

The COVID crisis is showing us how things could be better if we think positively and act collectively.

And fellow leaders take note: We will be remembered for how we respond. This is as true of climate change as it is of COVID-19.

At BI, we believe a healthy planet is a prerequisite for healthy humans and animals. We don’t have all the answers, and we can’t do it alone. However, we will be upholding our own commitments with impassioned determination and an unswerving belief in a cleaner, greener, healthier world.

We call on everyone to embrace environmental sustainability as an obligation towards improving human and animal health - for today's and future generations.