Who we are
Dr Matt Sawyer
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Matt Sawyer worked as a GP for nearly two decades in the North East of England. Now, he runs an environmental sustainability consultancy – SEE Sustainability – working to improve human and planetary health. He covers sustainability issues facing healthcare including understanding their carbon emissions footprint and helping to produce roadmaps and action plans to meet the NHS net zero ambition. He has a MSc in Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management.
He produced an online carbon footprint calculator for non-clinical emissions from General Practice https://www.gpcarbon.org/#/ and information at https://seesustainability.co.uk/calculate-carbonfootprint.
He worked with associates to deliver training to Gloucestershire PCNs on environmentally sustainable general practice.
He part wrote and jointly edited a book - Environmentally Sustainable Primary Care - with Dr Mike Tomson. Available since November 2024. https://www.routledge.com/Environmentally-Sustainable-Primary-Care-Good-for-the-planet-good-for-practices-good-for-patients/Sawyer-Tomson/p/book/9781032793573
He has worked with the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and Greener Practice to deliver a Green Plan for Primary Care for South East London ICS. (https://www.ourhealthiersel.nhs.uk/about/our-sustainability-committment.htm and specifically https://selondonccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Primary-Care-Green-Plan-2022-2025.pdf ).
He has worked with North Yorkshire and Humber ICS to produce the Carbon Footprint of General Practice for the area. further detals and full report available at https://humberandnorthyorkshire.org.uk/our-work/climate-change-sustainability/green-primary-care/
He delivers online Carbon Literacy Project accredited carbon literacy courses for primary and secondary care staff. https://seesustainability.co.uk/learn-carbon-literacy
He has produced a Decarbonisation Guide for General Practice - https://seesustainability.co.uk/practice-green-actionplan covering decarbonising energy and estates within primary care along with transport, procurement and the wider supply chain. This is being made available to a wider group of practices via the RCGP.
He provides a range of materials, documents, reports for carbon footprints from elsewhere, education resources and videos, which are available at https://seesustainability.co.uk/resources
He has presented to a variety of audiences on topics such as 'What GP partners need to know about NHS Net Zero ambitions & climate action' and 'Should primary care have its own green plan within the ICS Green Plan?' and written articles such as ‘How to ‘green’ your practice without costing the earth’ in Pulse Intelligence. (Summary available here), Demystifying carbon footprinting in practice - CPD for Pulse (Available here and GP Carbon Calculator: making it easier to support the NHS’ net zero ambitions) (Available here). He was a plenary speaker at WONCA 2022 presenting on environmental sustainability to primary care. Further details at https://seesustainability.co.uk/blog/f/i-have-a-dream%E2%80%A6 and https://woncaeurope2022.org/en/plenary-speakers.
Qualifications
Qualified (clinically retired) GP (GMC 4423807)
MSc in Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management (Distinction)
BSc (First Class) in Environmental Science
GradIEMA
Declaration of interests (2025)
I have provided presentations for a number of organisations including NHS bodies such as Yorkshire and Humber medical school on 'Environmentally sustainable healthcare. Meeting the NHS Net Zero targets - What, why and how?', Carbon Literacy for Healthcare Leadership to several NHS Trusts, training and webinars for several private organisations and CICs (see https://seesustainability.co.uk/events for a full list).
I have completed delivery of training on 'Doing what we do but a bit greener' to primary care for three regional teams in England.
Cogora - Judge for the Sustainability Awards for general practice.
I am the co-chair of the Planetary Health Special Interest Group for British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
I am a member of Greener Practice and coordinate the York and North Yorkshire group.
I currently serve as Co-Chair of the National Integrated Care System (ICS) Leads Board.
Declaration of interests (2024)
I have provided presentations for a number of organisations including NHS bodies such as Yorkshire and Humber medical school on 'Environmentally sustainable healthcare. Meeting the NHS Net Zero targets - What, why and how?' and Birminghams Women and Childrens Hospital through to private organisations such as Stericycle on 'It Pays to Go Green – How Sustainability can Save Money and Lives in Primary Care' and Mobilityways to the Embassy of Denmark on engaging staff in sustainability (see https://seesustainability.co.uk/events for a fuller list).
I have provided carbon footprinting advice and consultancy to SOS on https://toolkit.sos-uk.org/greenimpact/giforhealth/login, Redmoor Health on integrating environmental sustainability into their Digital Journey Planner https://www.redmoorhealth.co.uk/digital-journey-planner/ and British Irish Association of Stroke Physicians and a Local Medical Committee(LMC).
Cogora - Judge for the Sustainability Awards for general practice.
Taylor and Francis - co-edit and authored a book on Environmentally Sustainable Primary Care
Delivering training on 'Doing what we do but a bit greener' to primary care for three regional teams in England.
Provided paid consultancy to Greener Practice developing Sustainable Quality Improvement projects.
Vo-chair of the Planetary Health Special Interest Group for British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
Member of Greener Practice and coordinate the York and North Yorkshire group.
Declaration of interests (2023)
I have provided consultancy to several pharmaceutical companies, Latus Health (Occupational Health Service) and Royal College of General Practitioners
Several pharmaceutical companies - delivering presentations (e.g. on active travel and the carbon footprint of travel within general practice) and webinars and education sessions on planetary health, low carbon high quality care and environmental sustainability including general advice and guidance on environmental sustainability issues.
Haymarket Media Group, writing articles on environmentally sustainable primary care.
Cogora - writing articles on environmentally sustainable primary care.
Primary care estates business: writing a presentation on environmentally sustainable primary care.
Worked with Yewmaker on the MCF as a paid consultant.
I have provided carbon footprinting advice and consultancy to researchers on methodology from several UK hospitals and individual practices.
I am the co-chair of the Planetary Health Special Interest Group for British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
I am a member of Greener Practice and coordinate the North Yorkshire group.
Any additional interests or information to disclose?
In addition to payments from commercial organisations, I also deliver (paid for) Carbon Literacy training to primary and secondary care staff; I write and deliver training on reducing carbon emissions from primary care for NHS bodies (ICS, PCNs and practices); I deliver training at education sessions for PCNs on planetary health and environmental sustainability. Course developer and deliverer for RCGP and Greener NHS on Net Zero Advisers for General Practice.
I have produced a (free to access) Carbon Calculator for GPs with some fundings from Sustainable Healthcare Coalition.
I am the co-chair of the Planetary Health Special Interest Group for British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
I am a member of Greener Practice and coordinate the North Yorkshire group.
I am an advocate of good planetary health and averting the climate and ecological breakdown.
For further details: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-matthew-sawyer-mb-msc-bsc-gradiema-66325110b/
Team of Associates.
We have a small team of trusted and well qualified associates that can be drawn upon for specific projects
Laura Gelder-Robertson
On a mission to accelerate 1 million SMEs to Net Zero by 2025
- Assesses on Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership's Net Zero short course
- Facilitates SMEs to understand the Climate Science, Measure their Carbon Footprint and develop Net Zero Action Plans for Clean Growth UK
- TED talker (on facing into Climate Change as a Parent)
- Mother
- Loves collaborating with sector experts like Matt in Primary Care!
Director, Glow Innovation
Aisling Condon
Aisling, the name behind The Green Physio, is an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist from Cornwall, who specialises in two things:
1. The treatment and management of hypermobility and connective tissue disorders in clinic;
2. Training other physios and healthcare professionals to become Carbon Literate outside of her clinic.
Alongside providing the training for physiotherapists and physio clinics, Aisling also works closely with Matt in co-delivering Carbon Literacy Training to a variety of different healthcare professionals from both primary and secondary care settings.
Aisling is also a committee member of Physiotherapy Declares (subgroup of Health Declares), who aim to inform, influence, support and mobilise the physiotherapy world on climate change and action, and push for sustainability to be placed at the core of their governing body’s work.
For more information, visit Aisling’s website at https://thegreenphysio.com/, or follow her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegreenphysio/
Jen Workman
Jen founded Business Owl (https://businessowl.co.uk/) and together with her team, provides professional, remote business support to ambitious small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Drawing on her wealth of experience, Jen is Matt's Virtual Personal Assistant and keeps him on track by:
· providing support with day-to-day tasks, ensuring he has the support he needs to keep all the plates spinning,
· monitoring tasks and project deadlines,
· keeping up-to-date records regarding Carbon Literacy training,
· research,
· sending and keeping track of invoices.
Jen is accredited as Carbon Literate and is kept busy ensuring her clients run their businesses with sustainability and stability in mind.
Harriet Thrower
Harriet has moved to her dream job with McLaren F1 as their sustainability analyst.
For further details: www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-thrower
testimonials
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
"Matthew created a real buzz over the last few months and definitely drew fresh attention to waste."
Simon Dawes, Head of Sustainable Business
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
"Thank you Matt for all you effort in helping us out with our goals on waste."
Nigel, Cafe Owner
Karen Wells, Interim Head of Sustainable Business, Environment Agency
Nigel, Cafe Owner
"It was Matthew that really, through his enthusiasm and his energy with it, but also his very, sort of smooth communication and being able to talk to a business and pull those right triggers and talk about luck, you know, this will impact on your bottom line in a positive way, things that as a business we want to hear."