The NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy has set targets for the reduction of GHG emissions within the NHS. If we are to meet these challenging targets, our health economists will have to become as familiar with the rationing of healthcare of the basis of carbon as they presently are with financial resources. A scary thought? Perhaps for them - but it shouldn't be for clinicians. But who will work out how to do these carbon accounts?

102 heat exchangers have been fitted to dialysis machines across 4 renal services following the CSH 'Cutting CO₂ in Kidney Care ' project, which secured funding at the Pitch Pledge Party event in October 2011, a 10:10 initiative in partnership with The Funding Network and the Guardian. The project was based on the case study from East Kent renal service, which has reduced its carbon footprint by retrofitting heat exchangers to renal dialysis machines. Each heat exchanger is estimated to save approximately 0.366 tonnes CO₂e per year.

Delegates at the Green Nephrology Summit 2012, on 26th September, have issued a call to policy makers and healthcare commissioners to support them in bringing about the transformation to sustainable models of care.

The 2012 Award, presented at the Green Nephrology Summit yesterday, has gone to Newcastle Renal Unit for their "baling and recycling" project, modelled on one of the early case studies in Green Nephrology. The project has increased the amount of plastic and cardboard waste being recycled in the Trust by 90 tonnes, resulting in savings of more than £7,000/year and 46 tonnes CO2e in just a few months.