Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England net zero supplier roadmap, for what reason NHS England’s (a) target date for reaching net zero emissions by 2045 and (b) scope to include reporting of global emissions differ from the requirements laid out in the guidance entitled Procurement Policy Note 06/21: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/
The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of alignment of NHS suppliers with NHS England’s requirement for suppliers to commit globally by 2027 to achieve net zero in 2045.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/
The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government departments plan to make it a requirement in their procurement processes that potential suppliers meet net zero targets in their global operations by (a) 2045 and (b) 2050.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Since October 2021, all Central Government Departments, their ALBs and Non-Departmental Public Bodies have required suppliers bidding for relevant major public procurements (of £5m or more) to commit their UK operations to achieving Net Zero by 2050. This aligns with the UK’s own legally binding Net Zero target.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of companies being unable to comply with the NHS England requirement for all suppliers to commit globally by 2027 to achieve net zero by 2045 on the level of business investment in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
NHS England has published the net zero supplier roadmap, detailing steps for suppliers to align with NHS net zero goals. The roadmap offers extra support for SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) and VCSEs (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprises) facing compliance challenges. My Department (DBT) has collaborated with industry and NHS partners to publish materials on the UK’s approach to achieving net zero healthcare which we have been showcasing internationally. We also work to champion net zero suppliers overseas.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment with NHS England of the impact of companies being unable to comply with the NHS England requirement for suppliers to commit globally by 2027 to achieve net zero by 2045 on NHS (a) supply and (b) services.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support National Health Service suppliers to align with the NHS’s net zero ambitions. The 2027 requirement for suppliers to publicly report targets, emissions, and publish a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) for global emissions aligned to the NHS net zero target, will build on milestones implemented in 2023 and 2024.
The milestone of 1 April 2023 required that suppliers bidding for any new contracts above £5 million per annum publish a CRP for their UK Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and a subset of scope 3 emissions as a minimum. This requirement was proportionately extended to all new procurements from April 2024, with a full CRP required for new procurements above £5 million per annum, and new frameworks operated by in-scope organisations. A Net Zero Commitment is required for procurements of lower value, as set out in the above-mentioned guidance.
NHS England has proactively engaged with suppliers since the launch of the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, and continues to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies, ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, such as the April 2027 milestone. NHS England’s engagement approach has included regular supplier forums with trade bodies, external webinars, and horizon scanning of both the global and the United Kingdom’s regulatory and reporting landscapes.
NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversation with suppliers and the NHS. This online voluntary, self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS net zero and sustainability ambitions. After completing the assessment, suppliers receive a sustainability maturity score, valid for 12 months, against NHS priorities, and which signposts their current position and pathway to progress.
The April 2027 milestone is anticipated to build on the approach set out in the published guidance on implementing the April 2023 and April 2024 NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap requirements, which includes consideration of the relevant and proportionate application of the policy within procurements.