Climate change and health

The BMA has advocated for the link between climate change and health to be recognised since 1983.

We all have a vital role in supporting and advocating for better approaches to tackling climate change that protect and promote public health.

As an association, the BMA is striving to contribute positively to wider society and the environment. We have taken major steps to reduce our environmental impact and embed carbon reduction in the future for the BMA for our members, staff, and the communities we work in.

Reducing our carbon footprint

We have complied with mandatory legislative SECR (Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting) policy since 2020. We report on our energy use and carbon emissions related to electricity, gas and transport, and our carbon emissions from water usage and business travel. Our SECR reporting is informed by data collected from BMA House in London, and our offices in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, as well as business travel claimed by BMA staff and committee members. We are continually striving to be able to collate and report on other aspects of our activities that contribute to our carbon emissions.

BMA House

We are following a massive programme of decarbonisation at BMA House, with the improvements to the building’s fabric and energy efficiency. We have completed the main phase of reconciling our office occupation at BMA House to maximise energy use efficiencies of our own occupied spaces.

We are committed to the use of sustainable materials and methods as we continue the re-fit of BMA House.

• During the re-carpeting of the Great Hall, the carpet tiles were reduced to their component parts, rather than being sent to landfill, and the yarn from the old carpet was rescued and processed to be regenerated into new products, achieving a full-cycle reuse.
• During our strip-out of surplus offices, all products were separated into waste zones on site – timber, metal, glass, concrete brick, and rubble – to be re-used or recycled.
• We have repurposed furniture when fitting out our new workspaces, refurbishing, where appropriate, in order to extend its economic and environmental life.
• Furniture we cannot repurpose is sent for community use in schools via the Business2Schools charity.
• Workspaces have been streamlined by using smaller desks and removing storage rooms from work areas, thus making energy use on working floors more efficient.

BMA House events and catering

BMA House is a leading sustainable venue in the heart of London. We have worked tirelessly to redefine the venue’s catering offering, focusing on sustainability, locality, transparency, and waste reduction.

Empowering informed choices

A new initiative at BMA House involves the creation of menus that transparently display the carbon impact of each item. This pioneering approach allows event organisers and attendees to make conscious choices that align with their individual carbon reduction goals. Developed in collaboration with Foodsteps, these menus are rated on an A-E scale, with A representing the most environmentally conscious option.

Innovative Culinary Evolution

The catering team at BMA House has eliminated beef products from all menus. This transition is particularly significant for BMA House, as it complimented the vibrant summer party and BBQ business. The traditional beef burger was replaced by an array of creative alternatives, aligning with the changing culinary preferences of the venue’s clients. 

In addition, the Future 50 menus combine familiar but under-consumed foods that are particularly nutritional, relatively low in terms of environmental impact, flavoursome, accessible, and affordable.

69% of the dishes on our 2024 spring-summer menu are vegan or vegetarian. This is up from 60% in 2023 and 40% in our autumn 2022 menus.

Embracing local suppliers

Recognising the ecological impact of food miles and the importance of fresher ingredients, BMA House has developed partnerships with local growers and suppliers. Referred to as the London Larder, this collaboration has resulted in meticulously curated menus that not only highlight the locally sourced ingredients but also use imagery to visually share the food’s journey, demonstrating the venues' unwavering support for the local community and reducing food miles.

Minimising Food Waste

In the UK, it is estimated that 7% of produce never reaches kitchens due to cosmetic imperfections or the discarding of specific parts. BMA House's collaboration with WasteKnot has resulted in a notable reduction in food waste. Through this partnership, BMA House sources ingredients that would otherwise be wasted, contributing to the reduction of food waste in the hospitality sector. WasteKnot produce is now being used across all soups in the café, hospitality fork buffets and even a dessert of the week.

BMA Northern Ireland

Since September 2021, our BMA Northern Ireland staff have worked from a serviced office. The move to this office was influenced by the building’s lower environmental impact and has resulted in many environmental resource use improvements.

• The current office is much smaller than the old building, meaning we have a smaller space to heat and light.
• 65% of the electricity used in our Belfast office is renewable.
• Staff continue to reduce paper use and have increased virtual meetings with members.
• Fully reusable cups, crockery and other items are provided in the office space for day-to-day use.
• Recycling and food waste disposal facilities are provided at the office.
• The office is located adjacent to public transport hubs, encouraging more staff to use public transport.

BMA Scotland

In Edinburgh, we are in the process of draught-proofing and double-glazing windows, as well as converting lighting to lower energy LED lighting. We are also transitioning from heating the building with gas to using air source heat pumps and green-electric heaters.

We have bought excellent quality recycled furniture, which will provide around 50% of the new furniture as we convert the office to a flexible workspace. We have repurposed large amounts of surplus furniture to various charities and other organisations.

BMA Wales

Our office in Cardiff is in a fully serviced building. The building uses an electricity-powered air conditioning system for heating.

Recycling

We recycle an increasing proportion of the waste we generate, and BMA House has achieved zero-to-landfill status: all waste produced is either recycled or recovered.

Recycling and waste facilities have replaced personal desk bins in all BMA offices, improving access to recycling waste for all office-based staff. Staff are able to recycle paper, cardboard, cans, plastics, and food waste.

In September 2022, we started sending new members our redesigned membership packs, which are printed on recycled material, produced in a carbon-neutral environment, and fully recyclable.

Our recycling processes are regularly reviewed to ensure that we continue to reduce our carbon footprint.

Sustainable technology

The technology services team has also changed its working practices to help reduce the BMA's energy consumption.

• We use Office 365, allowing us to save and archive files and folders to the cloud, reducing the number of machines we use and our energy consumption.
• We have rationalised our data requirements and moved to specialist data providers where economies of scale and economies of environmental impact are maximised.
• We use our assets as much as possible to extend the life of equipment and only replace when needed.
• We have invested in our technology to support virtual meetings, ensuring that 50% take place online and the remainder are hybrid.
• In 2023, we started using remanufactured laptops, and intend to purchase around 600 over the next 4 years.

BMA House awards

As BMA House’s environmental journey continues, we are constantly looking not just for new ways to increase our sustainability, but also new ways to demonstrate our commitment to it.

BMA House was first awarded Green Tourism’s gold accreditation in 2017. This is the largest and most established sustainable grading programme. In addition to maintaining our gold for Green Tourism, BMA House was one of the first venues in the world to be awarded Greengage's ECOsmart platinum accreditation in 2022, which we retained in 2023. Platinum venues are described as having an outstanding approach with the highest possible standard of environmental sustainability applied. BMA House was highlighted as a leader in hospitality and sustainability in all aspects of our business as a venue.

We received a “Team Green” certificate from the Camden Climate Alliance (CCA). The CCA Carbon Certification scheme recognises organisations based or operating in Camden that take a best practice approach to managing their environmental impacts and achieving reductions in their carbon emissions. Our award recognised that we have developed and delivered a good staff engagement programme around sustainability issues.

BMA House won several awards for sustainability throughout 2023. Most notably, we were a Gold winner of ‘The Sustainable Award for Venues, under 400 reception style’ at the London Venue and Catering Awards 2023. We also won ‘Best Accommodation & Meetings Sustainability Initiative’ at the Greengage Insights and 2023 Sustainability Awards.