How do I show evidence of carbon reporting for tender submissions?

Since the 30th September 2021, there has been a Policy Procurement Note (PPN) in place to ensure that Carbon Reduction Plans are created by those who want to secure major government contracts, including tenders. This works as part of the UK’s commitment to achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2050.

The policy applies to all central government departments, executive agencies, and non-departmental public bodies, meaning there is a huge opportunity out there for businesses that are willing to commit themselves to reducing their carbon footprint.

If this is the kind of business you are interested in, you might be wondering how to show evidence of carbon reporting for tender submissions.

It is vitally important to get this information right, as you can be disqualified from lucrative tenders if the plan you produce and the evidence you provide are not compelling enough. You can find out more about the government selection criteria here.

Understanding your requirements

Before we talk about how you show evidence of carbon reporting for tender submissions, you must understand the information you need to collect and provide.

When it comes to tenders with a value of above £5 million per year, the PPN states that a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) must be included to be considered at the selection stage.

In this blog, we will break down the steps you need to follow to provide evidence
of carbon reporting for tender submissions.

This CRP needs to include the following information:

1. An organisational commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
2. A historical carbon emissions report and a current carbon emissions report both including information on Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions (only 5 of the 15 categories in Scope 3 need to be reported on).

To find out more about how to classify your carbon emissions, we recommend you check out this helpful resource from Deloitte.

3. Details of measures you will take, such as certifications and carbon reduction initiatives, that will help to manage your business’s environmental impact.

This Carbon Reduction Plan will need to be published on your website and have been signed off at a senior level of the business, for example by a director. You will be expected to provide updates to your CRP on an annual basis.

Subcontractors you partner with are not required to provide this same information, but it is encouraged that you work with them to help them reduce their carbon consumption too.

The UK government have provided a useful suggested template for your Carbon Reduction Plan. You can find the link to it here.

Share the right data

Now that you have an understanding of the information required, the most important thing you can do is collect the carbon reporting evidence required.

Carbon monitoring is one of the most effective ways you can do this, as it is an entirely data-based practice. You will be able to access real-time insights, collate information on patterns of energy usage, and identify unnecessary spikes in consumption.

This information will help you to understand your carbon emissions across the three scopes that need to be included in tender applications and root both the numbers and the goals you share in scientific data.

As both historical and current data are required, you will need to implement carbon monitoring for a reasonable period to ensure the results you include in your tender submission are accurate. We always recommend a minimum of 3 months before you start to review data and set your emissions reduction goals.

For historical data, you will be expected to provide an estimate for 12 months of baseline emissions. There are calculations you can work through to provide this data if carbon monitoring is a new activity for your business – just get in touch and we can point you in the right direction.

Set your emissions reduction targets

Once you have collected all of the relevant data on your carbon consumption, another method of submitting carbon reporting evidence involves setting relevant and data-based emission reduction targets.

This could include an overall carbon reduction goal, or more specific goals such as adopting renewable energy sources, optimizing transportation routes, and implementing energy-efficient technologies.

A tender submission will require these goals to be specific, measurable, and time-bound. You should also keep in mind that they may need to be updated as you progress through the contract, should you win it, and that you will need to provide evidence of any action you have taken so far.

In conclusion, how do I show evidence of carbon reporting for tender submissions.

We hope this blog has helped you understand how to show evidence of carbon reporting for tender submissions. It might seem a little daunting to collect all of this information, but sources like carbon monitoring for your business can make providing this evidence a much smoother and more efficient process.

It’s important to note that while current legislation covers tenders with a value of over £5 million, you shouldn’t be complacent if you are bidding for work that has a lower value than this, as requirements are ever-changing.

Here at Utili-Tay, our Carbon Monitoring services can help you to understand how much work you need to do to hit Net Zero, not only helping you to save money and improve business performance but ultimately putting you in the best position to be approved for lucrative tender submissions in the future.

Contact us today to find out more and read about our Carbon Monitoring Services here.