We embed sustainability and support for climate action into all purchasing decisions, working towards a net zero carbon supply chain. This means we aim to buy less, and buy better
Our goals
Buy less
We spend over £700 million annually, with around 4,000 supply chain companies.
We want to spend this money well by eliminating, reducing and reusing resources, where we can.
Buy better
Where procurement is required, social value and net zero is embedded into our procurement strategy, policy and tender processes.
Emissions associated with purchased goods and services contribute to over 85% of our total carbon footprint.
We have published a target to have a net zero supply chain by 2040*. We can’t reach this target without working with our suppliers.
We want to support organisations of all sizes and sectors, and in particular, support local businesses and SMEs.
We collaborate with other NHS trusts and public sector peers to align approaches.
In addition, if suppliers have an innovative product or service that supports our carbon, waste and clean air goals or our climate adaptation plan, we want to hear about them!
Please email our sustainable procurement working group: [email protected]
*What do we mean by this target? Carbon emissions from sources that we control and influence (like the medicines and equipment we buy from our supply chain and our patient and visitor travel) will be 90% lower in 2040 than when we first calculated our baseline carbon footprint in 2019.
Five-step supplier framework
A crucial part of this aspiration is improving confidence in our supply chain carbon data. It is mandatory for all active (tier 1 – direct) suppliers to provide their carbon data to us on an annual basis (end of June) via the five-step framework below:
| Steps 1-5 | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Share your views and connect with peers | Fill out the supplier survey Join our LinkedIn group Email us: [email protected] |
| 2. Access support | View our training and events pages. |
| 3. Measure and report your carbon footprint | Please select one of the following options to report your data. Register your organisation using a work email account. Enter code NUTHSUPP10 when prompted to link your results to our account. a) The free SmartCarbon lite account is a basic carbon calculator, suitable for organisations that have core data available, but haven’t calculated carbon impact. b) Already calculated your carbon footprint and need to submit data? You can do so on the free report only option SmartCarbon website. This should only take around ten minutes. c) The SmartCarbon full account includes an advanced calculator to help you measure emissions as accurately as possible. You can also use the tool to target and monitor progress. If you have any queries about the SmartCarbon reporting portal, please email: [email protected] |
| 4. Publish 2040 net zero commitment | Read case studies from our suppliers. Visit our frequently asked questions and glossary |
| 5. Publish a carbon reduction plan | We require suppliers to publish a carbon reduction plan. We recommend your carbon reduction plan to meet the minimum requires of the PPN 006 government template. |
Get in touch
If you have any queries about the five-step framework, please email us:
