As part of a piece of work for one of our NHS clients, I’ve been working my way through the organisation’s latest sustainability strategy documents. I came across this lovely case study from Barts Health NHS Trust which summed up the benefits of the Green Jujitsu approach to sustainability (although they don’t call it that):

The engagement showed that focussing solely energy reduction was not received as well as actions that combined improving patient experience with energy saving. As a result a pilot scheme was developed that asked staff to do three simple things, each with a patient benefit:

1. Turn off equipment when not in use, reducing excessive heat and noise

2. Switch off lights to help promote sleep and reduce light pollution

3. Close doors to improve patient safety and privacy, and help regulate room temperatures.

Staff responded, and patient experience was improved with fewer reports of noise disturbance or poor privacy. In addition, these simple actions achieved savings of £105,000 and opportunities for estimated savings of up to £800,000 on energy bills across the trusts £12m energy bill.

Green Jujitsu says work with the existing culture in the organisation, not against it, and this is a perfect example. Health professionals get up in the morning to improve life for their patients. Sustainability professionals want to save the world. These two ambitions could conflict, but, by finding the sweetspot where patient welfare and sustainability can be enhanced in a single action, the Trust found the formula for success. Brilliant.

So what actions in your organisation would deliver for the business, your colleagues AND sustainability?