Our team of sustainability professionals across Carbon Architecture, and green business certification provider, Green Mark, are experienced at supporting SMEs, major suppliers and NHS Trusts with the complexities of PPN 06/21 legislation.
PPN 06/21 is a UK government policy requiring suppliers bidding for public sector contracts, particularly with the NHS, to demonstrate a commitment to reducing carbon emissions in line with the UK’s 2050 net-zero target. Requirements are different depending on business and contract size. Find out more in PPN 06/21 and how it could affect you in our explainer article.
Here we outline how our tailored packages uniquely satisfy the demands of PPN 06/21 legislation:
For SMEs: Straightforward compliance and pledge visibility
If you’re a small business that wants to work with the NHS, then you may be required to develop and publish a Net Zero Commitment (NZC). This pledge isn’t as detailed a task as a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP), but it can still eat up a lot of time for small and medium businesses. And many businesses of this size don’t need a website to operate, which makes it difficult to publish and signpost the commitment.
We help growing businesses create and action a pledge to move towards Net Zero, in partnership with Green Mark. Green Mark also provides the digital space to publish these commitments publicly, satisfying PPN 06/21.
It’s likely that sustainability legislation in this space will widen. Many of our SME customers use NZC development as an opportunity to get ahead of future requirements. We often help them implement more far-reaching measures, above and beyond what PPN 06/21 asks of them.
For major NHS suppliers: CRPs are our speciality
Producing a CRP can be a large, sprawling project depending on the scale of your operations. We’re helping NHS suppliers get compliant, win new contracts, and maintain established relationships with trusts. Crucially though a CRP isn’t just nice to have, NHS trusts can’t work with you as a supplier if you’re not PPN 06/21 compliant.
Businesses come to us for trusted, proven consultancy and the peace of mind that they’re doing everything right. We also provide established platforms, such an InMetriks, that can measure, analyse, and report key energy data. But really, that’s only the beginning.
The requirement to update CRPs at least annually means lots of major NHS suppliers are updating their strategies more regularly. We’re helping businesses get more proactive about sustainability and reap the benefits of what that means.
For NHS trusts: Complete supply chain oversight
We have deep ties with NHS trusts themselves. In the majority of cases, trusts are perfectly happy with their current supply chain. PPN 06/21 simply requires a new piece of compliance obligation before business as usual can carry on.
But to get every supplier accredited can be a big task, especially for larger trusts. So, we handle this for them. We work with their entire supply chain to ensure PPN 06/21 compliance, whether that’s through carbon reduction plans or pledges to Net Zero. NHS Procurement teams get the benefit of best practice and an established template for future tenders.
Additionally, a recent update to NHS Green Plan guidance means that NHS Trusts are required to refresh their Green Plans by 31st July 2025. With sustainable procurement a significant component of a Green Plan, not only will PPN 06/21 compliance be crucial, but a renewed focus on sustainability will also be felt throughout the supply chain.
As the bridge between the NHS and suppliers, we help facilitate this essential work to ever higher standards of sustainability. With growing public support for carbon-cutting measures, the pace of new legislation is only likely to quicken. By staying on top of these new requirements, we can keep on offering comprehensive consultancy to thriving organisations. The result: better outcomes for our people and planet.
Elio Dias, Head of Energy and Carbon, commented:
“Whilst helping our clients with the complexities of legislation is crucial, it’s not just about compliance. We know that the true value for clients lies in improving sustainability, which we believe is the key to creating a future-proof business and securing long-term partnerships.”
To find out how we can support you with PPN 06/21 or your wider sustainability goals get in touch.
