04/20/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/20/2023 04:15
Fundamental to reducing our GHG emissions is understanding where and how these are generated and setting targets and KPIs to gather the data needed to calculate and manage them down and, wherever possible, eliminate them altogether. Data sources are therefore an essential consideration for estimating and monitoring emissions.
4.1 Data sources - CO2e calculation methodologies
Emissions calculation methodologies can be classified into three levels or Tiers dependent on the data available, moving from Tier 1 with the least accurate data to Tier 3 with the most accurate data.
Tier 3: Supplier specific data submitted by suppliers
This is the most accurate data as they are actual consumption metrics reported by suppliers / contractors / service providers e.g. make and model of vehicles used, fuel in litres, kg or kWh or actual business travel in miles / kilometres, product specific emission factors calculated by the supplier, or organisational emissions allocated to product or service
Tier 2: Average data method
Using industry average emissions data to produce factors against standard units e.g. class/size of vehicles used kg/Co2e per km /miles, litres of fuel, tonnes; average could mean emissions per unit purchased e.g. typical lifecycle emissions for a purchased laptop from a lifecycle inventory database, etc. For example, BEIS Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2020.
Tier 1: Spend-based data
This is the least accurate data as it relies on proxy data such as the Supply Chain emission factors, example at Annex 1, for every pound spent in a generic category a weight of CO2e in kilograms is calculated. For example, for Electrical equipment every pound spent is assumed to generate 0.62 kg/CO2e. This approach is most useful in the early stages of understanding your CO2e spend profile and provides a starting point for planning actions to reduce your supply chain emissions and identifying opportunities to gather Tier 3 data.
While the preference should always be to use Tier 3 data, in practice you will need to take a blended approach. The following are suggested strategies for making the most of the data available to you. These strategies will be considered in 2 parts. Firstly, what actions can you take immediately, Getting started / Quick Wins (section 4.2) and secondly how to build CO2e reduction into your organisations procurement strategy and future contracts, Addressing CO2e in the procurement cycle (section 4.5).
4.2 Getting started / quick wins
4.2.1 Step 1 Spend / Expenditure analysis
How you approach this depends on how the spend on external suppliers is classified in your organisation and the systems that are used to manage and monitor that spend. To
4.2.2 Step 2 Identify your current contracts with high / medium CO2e
As your spend analysis will only show you 'what' (in which categories) your organisation has spent its money on, you will need to find out 'how' that money is being spent i.e. what specific goods, services or works are being been bought, and what the suppliers / service providers / contractors are required to do i.e. what did the contract specifications and contract terms, conditions of funding require? What day to day activities are being undertaken to deliver the contract?
Step 2.1 Using your spend analysis, work back from spend categories to identify specific contracts and opportunities to act on CO2e reduction, by:
Step 2.1(a) by spend category
Or
Step 2.1(b) by Supplier - spend
Or
Step 2.1 (c) By Supplier - contract
Or
Step 2.1 (d) By Contracts register
4.2.3 Step 3 Explore how your current contracts can be used to act on CO2e reduction
Having identified the specific contracts or framework agreements currently in use, establish what, if any, decarbonisation measures have been built into the contract, whether these have been fully applied (if not, can they be activated?) and any management information (MI) data that might be available that would be a useful benchmark or starting point from which to start to take action on CO2e reduction.
While contract specifications / conditions may not have specific reference to decarbonisation, action on climate change etc. they may include contract clauses that could be used to initiate action to address CO2e e.g. that refer to Innovation or Continuous Improvement, Change control or Contract variation. This approach is likely to be most effective if the contract is still in its early stages; when your organisation is a major client and or has a good working relationship with the supplier / service provider / contractor.
Co-operating with you is likely to be beneficial to the development of your suppliers / service providers / contractors, as understanding your decarbonisation objectives will be a source of competitive advantage as other public sector clients begin to specify decarbonisation requirements in their contracts.
If there are no opportunities to take action within the scope of current contracts, consider early termination of the contract especially if the subject of the contract is a medium to high CO2e risk and better delivery options are available.
4.3 Planning for the future
This section discusses some of the broader commercial considerations that you may need to take into account. Section 4.5 Addressing CO2e in the procurement cycle looks at each stage of the cycle more specifically.
Use the lessons learned from how previous or current contracts have been designed to improve your procurement strategies, specifications, supplier selection and contract award criteria to focus on reducing Scope 3 CO2e emissions in your supply chains. Wherever possible the goal should be to minimise and ideally eliminate processes, materials or activities that cause CO2e emissions. Requiring all bidders to submit a Carbon Reduction Plan as part of the tender will ensure potential suppliers are focused on CO2e reduction (See WPPN 06/21: Decarbonisation through procurement - Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans).
As you may well be asking suppliers / service providers / contractors to change:
These are likely to require them to invest in their business (R&D, plant, machinery, staffing and training) you will need to consider how to incentivise these changes. For example:
At the very start of the procurement planning process, having confirmed there is a business need, consider whether you need to buy, 'own' the asset or whether the need could be met via a lease or managed service arrangement? Consider the CO2e emissions risks and whether these can be eliminated or minimised now, or whether the procurement strategy should include options to allow for upgrades, or switch to new and better options if the market moves during the period of the contract.
Standard Terms and Conditions are likely to already have an early contract termination clause but establish whether there is an Innovation or Continuous Improvement, Change control or Contract variation clause(s) that will allow you to capitalise on opportunities to take action on CO2e in the delivery of the contract e.g. transition to electric or hydrogen powered vehicles use of low carbon cement / concrete; lower carbon supply chain partners.
4.4. Maximise your organisation's influence over the market
- by entering into collaborative procurement arrangements with others in your region, sector or at an all Wales level to aggregate the demand to a level that incentivises prospective suppliers to commit to making the sorts of changes referred to above.
4.5 Addressing CO2e in the procurement cycle
By considering the issues and taking the actions set out in steps 1 to 7 below, you can ensure that the procurement builds in consideration of CO2e. Steps 2 to 5 is your opportunity to build in CO2e emission reductions as a differentiator in tender documentation and evaluations, allowing those suppliers, contractors or service providers that are most likely to help you to work towards decarbonisation to express their offering and score well. Having awarded the contract on this basis it is essential to ensure delivery of all the anticipated contract outcomes in the contract management phase's stages 6 to 8.
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The procurement cycle:
1. Planning
2. Defining requirements
3. Tender preparation and advertising
4. Evaluating tenders
•Ensure specifications and award criteria require lower and preferably zero CO2e solutions / outcomes.
5. Contract Award / start-up
Confirm winning bidders understanding of:
6. Contract Management
7. Contract end / Lessons learned