NHS England has published more detail about the Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for the procurement of NHS goods, services and works from the April 2023 milestone in the NHS net zero supplier roadmap.
The roadmap sets out the steps that suppliers must take to align with NHS net zero ambitions between now and 2030. From April 2023, NHS organisations will require all suppliers of new contracts for goods, services and/or works with an anticipated contract value above £5m per year (excluding VAT) to publish a CRP for their emissions from the sources included in scope 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and a defined subset of scope 3 emissions (upstream and downstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel and employee commuting) aligning with the government’s procurement policy note 06/21.
The requirement applies to new frameworks and new dynamic purchasing systems where the value exceeds £5m per year and framework owners must take care to ensure suppliers are also ready to comply with all future requirements as outlined in the roadmap in the development of their framework.
The newly published document outlines how the CRP requirement will be applied in an NHS context. The requirement will apply to NHS organisations as well as other parties acting on their behalf.
A CRP identifies a supplier’s current carbon footprint and plans to achieve net zero emissions. The NHS will require suppliers to have a publicly-available CRP both on their website and to be shared as part of the procurement process. The CRP must confirm the supplier’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 or earlier, and provide the current emissions for all in-scope sources as well as emissions reporting in carbon dioxide equivalent for the seven greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The seven gases are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.
The CRP must also set out the environment management measures in effect, including certification scheme or specific carbon reduction measures adopted, be approved by the board or company director and be updated regularly – at least annually.
For NHS organisations supplying other NHS organisations a published NHS Trust and/or Integrated Care Board green plan is acceptable, and for public bodies, a published CRP or net zero commitment is acceptable. Sub-contractors do not need to provide a CRP, although suppliers are encouraged to engage with their sub-contractors to ensure they are taking steps to reduce their emissions.
The document also sets out provision for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises, where there may be acceptable reasons for being unable to gather emissions data.
