Green step for the NHS.

Ten nhs Trusts across England, Wales and Scotland, including Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, are going greener.

They are set to cut their annual carbon footprint by 15% or 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by joining phase one of the Carbon Trust's new NHS Carbon Management programme - launched today.

The saving is equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 7,000 average UK homes.

The Carbon Trust NHS Carbon Management programme will also help the selected Trusts reduce their combined annual energy bill by more than pounds 7 million per year.

Dr Garry Felgate, Carbon Trust director , said: "Cutting carbon emissions as part of the fight against climate change should be a key priority for publicly funded bodies like NHS Trusts.

"The low carbon option is also the low cost option. Effective carbon management represents a huge opportunity for the NHS to reduce its energy bill. "The Department of Health has already emphasised the need for action on carbon dioxide emissions within the sector by setting a mandatory target for the NHS as a whole to reduce its carbon emissions by 0.15 million tonnes by 2010 ( so the time to act is now."

Steven Bannister, Director of Estates from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, said: "Rising energy prices and our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment prompted us to take a closer look at our energy usage and carbon footprint.

"The Carbon Trust's NHS Carbon Management programme will give us the right, user-friendly combination of expertise and support to start driving down our energy use, while improving our carbon credentials.

"Keeping an eye on energy spend is critical in an organisation the size of ours, particularly at a time when energy prices are in constant flux."