ARTICLE

Businesses must now commit to net zero to bid for government contracts

The UK government has announced new measures requiring businesses to ‘commit to net zero by 2050 and publish clear and credible carbon reduction plans’ before they can bid for government contracts.

This new rule will come into force in September 2021, and only applies to large contracts of above £5million a year.

The government spends more than £290 billion on procurement every year, so it’s important we use this purchasing power to help transform our economy to net-zero.

Requiring companies to report and commit to reducing their carbon emissions before bidding for public work is a key part of our world leading approach.

Lord Agnew, Minister for Efficiency and Transformation

Stay up-to-date with the latest news

The Sparks newsletter by Energy Solutions Oxfordshire contains all the latest news and updates in the world of energy and businesses. Sign up to receive more posts like this one straight to your inbox each month.

Sign up now

You might also like…

Step 1: Assess

A recent survey revealed that while most SME firms want to reduce their environmental impact and improve climate resilience, two-thirds don’t believe they have the right skills and knowledge to do so in-house. Key knowledge gaps include: the measurement of a business’s baseline emissions across their value chain and, the development and delivery of science-based…

Read now >

O2 to cut emissions from data centres through energy efficiency improvements

O2 has announced that they have invested in innovative energy-efficient cooling equipment to regulate the temperature of data centres and core network sites. These will replace traditional electric-powered air conditioning and transitional gas-based refrigeration. In 2016, it was reported that the world’s data centres used more than Britain’s total annual electricity consumption – 416.2TWh, significantly higher than the…

Read now >

More than half of large UK companies now have a Net Zero strategy in place

A YouGov poll of over 1,000 senior business decision makers found that more than half of larger companies (250+ employees) surveyed (52%) had a net zero strategy and 61% of these also felt their reputation would be negatively affected if they failed to commit to achieving their carbon targets.

Read now >

Minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for commercial landlords: what do businesses need to do with legislation coming into force

From April 2018 all commercial properties must be an EPC rating E or above if they are being leased for the first time or re-leased to a new tenant. From April 2023 this applies to all properties, whether or not they have a new lease. Here’s a guide for commercial landlords.

Read now >

SMEs could lead our net zero transition

A new report from Natwest bank states that the UK’s six million SMEs could achieve 50% of the country’s net zero decarbonisation goals given the right support, funding and knowledge to do so.  You might also like…

Read now >