How CCS is enabling a greener supply chain

In June of 2021, Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21 was released by the Cabinet Office. 

The requirements outlined in PPN 06/21 have created an opportunity for all of us to work towards the same goal of achieving net zero by 2050. We are working to optimise your supply chain to ensure you can maximise your net zero and social responsibility goals. 

Find out how the new requirements impact you, what steps are being taken to help suppliers fulfil the requirements of PPN 06/21, and why a greener supply chain is good for everyone.

PPN 06/21 introduces new criteria at the selection stage of the procurement and requires any suppliers bidding on contracts over £5 million to detail their commitment to achieving Net Zero through the publication of a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

What is a carbon reduction plan?

A CRP provides a visible way to measure your supply chain’s impact on your organisation’s carbon footprint. A supplier’s CRP will allow you to view their emissions data in a standardised way that complies with new government requirements. 

Supplier CRPs need to:

• be regularly updated and published on the supplier’s website 
• verify the supplier’s commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 
• provide current UK emissions for Scope 1 and 2 of the greenhouse gas (GHG) Protocol, in addition to a subset of Scope 3 emissions
• provide emissions reporting for the 6 greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol
• detail the environmental management measures that can be applied in the delivery of the contract

What impact does PPN 06/21 have on you?

Across the UK 74% of District, County, Unitary and Metropolitan Councils have declared a Climate Emergency. Part of the work they are undertaking is looking at the supply chain and working with them in order to hit the targets they have set for themselves. 

In-Scope Organisations should take action to apply PPN 06/21 when procuring goods and/or services and/or works which are subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, where there is an anticipated contract value of £5 million per annum and above (excluding VAT) unless it is not related and proportionate to the contract.

How is CCS enabling a greener supply chain?

Engaging with sustainable suppliers can help your organisation demonstrate its commitment to the environment. Greener supply chains can help:

• reduce your environmental impact
• ensure more ethical raw materials are used
• improve supply chain employee working conditions
• drive operational efficiency

At Crown Commercial Service (CCS), we realise how critical it is for our customers that suppliers comply with new government regulations stipulated in PPN 06/21. 

“We are educating and encouraging the entire public sector supply chain to step up and meet the Governments’ Net Zero policy ambitions. Working alongside our customers, our suppliers are critical to our ability to deliver. We need their expertise, products, services, compliance and effective reporting to enable our customers to deliver their commitments,” explains Joe Tilley, Sustainability Director and Strategic Portfolio.

Not only have we embraced it for our relevant commercial agreements, we are also offering CRP training to ensure your supply chain can contribute to your net zero and social responsibility goals. Since December 2021, the CCS Sustainability team has trained thousands of suppliers to help them produce, release, and maintain a CRP that conforms to the requirements detailed in PPN 06/21. 

What makes the CRP training so effective? 

By design, the training enables attendees to engage with the presenter interactively. Questions can be asked at any time during the session. Every session is run with a standard format to maintain consistency and allow as many questions to be answered during each session.

“We are taking proactive steps to get in front of Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21 implementation. The support we are giving suppliers reflects the positive steps we are making to implement the policy,” explains Marie-Helene Durif, Deputy Director, Technology Products & Services and workstream Lead for Supplier Sustainability.

Rallying to the challenge

Suppliers have rallied to the challenge to create compliant CRPs, providing invaluable feedback and insight. Here’s what they are saying:

Can customers attend a session to understand more?

Customers can also join the training along with suppliers. The training sessions allow customers to see how a CRP is created and what information to look for as part of their procurement process.  

If you want to join in, secure your place today. Or you can watch the training sessions on demand here.

Let us bring power to your procurement

To learn more, visit our Carbon Net Zero web page. If you have any questions, we are here to help – contact the team.