Ambitious plan to make Hull hospitals net zero by 2030, fifteen years ahead of target

Video report by Sarah Clark.

The trust which runs hospitals in Hull is aiming to become the first in the country to be net zero, pledging to hit the target by 2030.

That's fifteen years earlier than the target set by the Department of Health.

A huge field made up of 11,000 solar panels, known as the 'Field of Dreams', is one way bosses hope to get there.

The £4.5m project is still under construction covering 8 hectares of land near Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

CEO of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Chris Long said: "I don't think we can start this programme soon enough and I don't think we can finish it soon enough.

"Secondly we all saw the effects of the flood here in 2007. None of us want to see that again and thirdly I think it is the right thing to do that we as a country should be mobilising to do this."

The trust has also replaced 22,000 light fittings with LEDs which equates to to 1000 tonnes of carbon saved.

Other initiatives to go green include sending nothing to landfill by 2025, reducing anaesthetic gas emissions by 50% by 2025 and slash building emissions in half by 2028.

The Trust's pledge has been greatly received by Net-zero GP lead for the Humber area- Dr Aarti Bansal, who travelled to Glasgow for Cop 26.

She said: "They are showing the kind of ambition that we actually need in order to protect human health. It's really wonderful that health professionals are on board with this because we need to explain that this is really important for our health not just in the future but now."