What is PPN 06/21?
Procurement Policy Note 06/21 (PPN 006) requires suppliers bidding for UK government contracts worth over £5 million per year to produce a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP). The CRP must confirm the supplier's commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050, report their current Scope 1, 2, and a subset of Scope 3 emissions, and outline specific measures they will take to reduce emissions. Without a compliant CRP, your bid is excluded — regardless of how competitive your price or quality scores are.
What the CRP must contain
A compliant CRP must include: your organisational carbon footprint (Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 categories 4–7 at minimum), a commitment to Net Zero by 2050, environmental management measures already implemented, and a set of future carbon reduction targets with timelines. The plan must be published on your corporate website and updated annually. The government provides a template, but many organisations find it insufficient for demonstrating genuine commitment — particularly at the evaluation stage where CRP quality is increasingly being scored.
Beyond compliance: CRP as competitive advantage
Smart organisations are using their CRP not just as a compliance document but as a competitive differentiator. Contracting authorities are increasingly evaluating CRP quality as part of the social value weighting (typically 10–20% of total score under the Social Value Model). A CRP with specific, quantified reduction targets, evidence of year-on-year progress, and concrete supplier engagement plans will score significantly higher than a generic "we're committed to Net Zero" statement.
Getting CRP-ready in 4 weeks
If you have an upcoming government bid and no CRP, here's the fastest path: Week 1 — gather your energy bills, fleet records, and travel data for the most recent 12-month period. Week 2 — calculate your Scope 1, 2, and relevant Scope 3 emissions using DEFRA conversion factors. Week 3 — draft your reduction plan with specific, measurable targets tied to your operational context. Week 4 — publish on your website and integrate into your bid submission. A platform like Climatise can compress this timeline further by automating the calculation and reporting steps.