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Sustainable procurement – guidance for suppliers

Climate change poses a major threat to our health as well as our planet. The environment is changing, that change is accelerating, and this has direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the NHS.

The NHS has committed to reaching net zero by 2040 for our direct emissions, and by 2045 for the emissions we influence through the goods and services purchased from suppliers. To play our part in achieving this goal, East of England Ambulance Service is taking steps to improve the sustainability of our clinical service delivery and reduce the carbon impact of the goods and services we purchase.

In September 2021, one year on from the publication of the Delivering a net zero NHS report, the NHS England Public Board approved a roadmap to help suppliers align with the net zero ambition between now and 2030. This approach builds on UK Government procurement policy (PPN 06/20 and PPN 06/21). EEAST is committed to ensuring that our procurement is managed in line with these requirements and expects our suppliers to comply with the obligations outlined within the NHS net zero supplier roadmap, which is outlined below.

Net zero supplier roadmap

  • From April 2022: all NHS procurements will include a minimum 10% net zero and social value weighting. The net zero and social value guidance for NHS procurement teams will help unlock health-specific outcomes (building on PPN 06/20).
  • From April 2023: for all contracts above £5 million per annum, the NHS will require suppliers to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan for their UK Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a subset of scope 3 emissions as a minimum (aligning with PPN 06/21). The Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for the procurement of NHS goods, services and works guidance outlines what will be required of suppliers and how it will be implemented.
  • From April 2024: the NHS will proportionately extend the requirement for a Carbon Reduction Plan to cover all procurements.
  • From April 2027: all suppliers will be required to publicly report targets, emissions and publish a Carbon Reduction Plan for global emissions aligned to the NHS net zero target, for all of their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
  • From April 2028: new requirements will be introduced overseeing the provision of carbon foot printing for individual products supplied to the NHS. The NHS will work with suppliers and regulators to determine the scope and methodology.
  • From 2030: suppliers will only be able to qualify for NHS contracts if they can demonstrate their progress through published progress reports and continued carbon emissions reporting through the Evergreen sustainable supplier assessment.
Building net zero into NHS procurement - plan from 2022 - 2045

Greener NHS guidance for suppliers

Information and guidance from the NHS England on these procurement requirements is available for suppliers here.

This includes details on support available for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprises (VCSEs) at each stage of the roadmap. Further detail on the support available for SME’s and VCSEs on these requirements will be included in the specific guidance published ahead of each milestone of the roadmap and will be available via the Greener NHS Suppliers Information page. NHS England also offer free a CRP checking service and suppliers can access this service by contacting the following email address: england.crp-check@nhs.net There is also a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) Toolkit available here.

NHS supply chain requirements for suppliers

Information on the NHS Supply Chain’s requirements for suppliers is shown below and is also available here: NHS supply chain requirements for suppliers

  1. Carbon Reduction Plan: From 1 April 2023, NHS organisations requires all suppliers of new contracts for goods, services, and / or works with an anticipated contract value above £5 million per year (excluding VAT) to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) for their emissions from the sources included in scope 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol and a defined subset of scope 3 emissions. From 1 April 2024 the NHS will proportionately extend the CRP requirements to cover all new procurements. From this date a net zero commitment will be required for contracts above the relevant PCR threshold and from 01 April 2026 for contracts below the relevant PCR threshold. More information on CPR requirements for suppliers is available here.

  2. Social Value: From 1 April 2022, all NHS procurements will include a minimum 10% net zero and social value weighting. The net zero and social value guidance for NHS procurement teams will help unlock health-specific outcomes (building on PPN 06/20). More information on this requirement is available here.

  3. Evergreen Assessment: Launched in 2023, The Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment is a tool for suppliers to engage with the NHS on their sustainability journey and to understand how to align with the NHS net zero ambition. It serves as a pathway for communications and data gathering between suppliers and NHS decision makers across NHS organisations. It provides a mechanism for suppliers to showcase their sustainability efforts. Suppliers will be assessed on how they align with the NHS sustainability ambitions. More information on Evergreen and how to complete the assessment is available here.

  4. NHS England Supplier Roadmap: The NHS net zero supplier roadmap sets out the steps suppliers must take to align with the NHS net zero ambition between now and 2030. (Points 1 and 2 are some of the milestones in that roadmap). More information on the NHS England Net Zero supplier roadmap is available here.

  5. PPN 02/23: NHS Supply Chain will require all suppliers of contracts for goods, services, and / or works to complete and maintain an up to date Modern Slavery Assessment Tool (MSAT). Details can be found on the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool – Supplier Registration Service.

NHS terms and conditions for the supply of goods and services

The NHS Terms and Conditions for the supply of goods and provision of services must be followed for any relevant procurement processes. The NHS Conditions of Contract, as published, will apply to any contractual arrangements entered into as a result of a tendering process.

The terms and conditions relating to net zero and social value are outlined in Schedule 1 Key Provisions 8. These include the obligations outlined in the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, including the net zero and social value and carbon reduction plan requirements. Also the use of the Evergreen supplier assessment for self-assessment and reporting progress and monitoring carbon emissions.

Sustainable suppliers

East of England Ambulance Service wishes to work in collaboration with our suppliers to encourage them to be more sustainable. Below is guidance for suppliers getting started on their net zero journey from the NHS England Greener NHS team.

How to get started on your net zero journey chart
Guidance on how to embed sustainability into products and services.jpg

Key documents and guidance

Links to key documents and websites are below.

Sustainable procurement overview

Net Zero and social value model

Carbon reduction Plans

Evergreen

More information for suppliers

Procurement within EEAST

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