Given increasing focus on procurement and how it supports the delivery of climate change outcomes within Climate Change reporting duties it is important to determine and collate, where possible, how specific procurements have supported climate ambitions. Public bodies should outline how their procurement practices comply with their organisation’s Procurement Strategy as part of their Annual Procurement Report, which includes activity that complies with the Sustainable Procurement Duty such as vehicle emissions reduction strategies.
Public bodies are also required to report on how their procurement policies and activities contributed to compliance with climate change duties in their Annual Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report (information contained in these sections of each report can be identical and/ or linked). Collaboration between climate and procurement colleagues is essential to ensure it is clear how procurement is supporting organisational climate change strategies.
Any detail that can be provided on vehicle emissions reduction through procurement activities is useful both for establishing baselines and sharing good practice lessons with others.
Public Sector Leadership on the Global Climate Emergency Guidance, October 2021 emphasises the role of carbon in future procurement activities of all public bodies to help achieve carbon reduction targets and encourages streamlined reporting on climate change and procurement.
Identifying how public bodies have delivered emission reduction targets through commissioning and contract management as well as overcoming the remaining barriers through enhanced collaboration.
As a result:
Is it clear what the Contracting Authority vehicle climate ambitions are and have these been considered internally and with the market to identify intended outcomes and market capability?
At pre-procurement have relevant options been considered to enable the most positive vehicle and climate outcomes?
Does your specification focus on relevant and proportionate technical/ outcome-based requirements, including relevant use of standards and the role of innovative solutions?
Is it clear what an excellent response to tender requirements would be?
Is it clear how intended outcomes will be measured and monitored?
Where relevant have you discussed vehicle and climate ambitions at the mobilisation stage?
During contract review do you encourage further improvement in vehicle and climate outcomes?
Contract and Supplier Management
Annex – Example Procurement clauses and KPIs
