Bradford Teaching Hospitals is the fifth highest-ranking NHS organisation to top the Government’s first-ever league table rating private and public sector efforts in a new national carbon-cutting programme.

The Foundation Trust is celebrating today after being ranked among the highest performers in the newly-published Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) league table of around 2,000 UK private and public bodies.

The CRC is a mandatory energy efficiency scheme introduced for large organisations by the previous Government. It is still in its early stages, where the emphasis on rankings in the new league table is on compliance with the Early Action Metrics of Carbon Standard Certification and implementation of Automated Meter Reading. In future years the emphasis will shift to absolute carbon reduction and carbon reduction related to revenue.

The CRC is a mandatory energy efficiency scheme introduced for large organisations by the previous Government. It is still in its early stages, meaning the new league table only ranks bodies for how effectively they have introduced measures to monitor energy use, such as smart meters.

Nationally, Bradford was among to top-ranking organisations to have achieved the best possible scores – others included Barnsley Hospital, Manchester United, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and Center Parcs.

Environment & Sustainability Manager, Ian Buckle said: “Being ranked as one of the best performing NHS Trusts in the country by the government is another positive statement verifying that Bradford Teaching Hospitals is succeeding in our efforts to tackle climate change as well as saving money that can be used elsewhere in frontline healthcare.”

Other Yorkshire-based organisations in the top 50 included QHotels, whose portfolio includes The Queens Hotel in Leeds, and Asda, the best-ranked supermarket chain nationwide.

It is the latest environmental award for the Foundation Trust which recently achieved Carbon Trust Standard reaccreditation as the organisation has continued to reduce its carbon emissions and is committed to making further reductions year on year.

Overall carbon dioxide emissions at the Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital decreased by 5.5% from March 2009 to March 2011. The emission sources covered by the Standard now go beyond buildings energy and include fleet transport, business mileage and refrigerant losses, demonstrating the Foundation Trust’s commitment to manage its wider impacts.

Ian Buckle, said: “Achieving re-certification reflects highly on the performance of the Foundation Trust and on the good standard of governance currently in place.”

The latest carbon reduction project to be completed is the installation of 7.4 kW solar panels beside the gate six entrance on Smith Lane at the Bradford Royal Infirmary.