In 2022 Nottingham Trent University started to explore how it could reduce its carbon emissions from the goods and services it purchases. A key consideration was how the university could accurately calculate the supply chain carbon footprint, as well as track the positive sustainable supply chain interventions that it implements. It was clear that the university needed to move away from spend-based carbon calculations to a methodology that could provide a higher level of specificity and focus.
The Action Research Project was initially developed by Nottingham Trent University in partnership with NETpositive Futures. It was designed to support universities to capture actual carbon data and build sustainability into supply chains. At the heart of the project a Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool enables procurement and sustainability teams to engage with suppliers in a way that helps them to better understand their carbon footprint and develop a free net zero carbon reduction action plan.
The sector collaboration has been important because many suppliers are shared across the sector and a universal engagement mechanism demonstrates co-ordination and collective impact.
The collection of supplier carbon data allows universities to develop a robust supply chain carbon footprint, based on actual carbon data, to inform their scope 3 reporting and help them meet their Net Zero ambitions but there are other benefits.
Following the initial pilot phases and in response to an open invitation to the Higher Education Sector a total of 32 universities engaged in the action research project, which ran from 1st November 2023 – 31st October 2024. A full list of universities involved can be found here. A final report on the Action Research Project has now been published.
The Action Research Project ended in November 2024 and since then access to the project has been opened up to other universities and public sector bodies. Currently there are 32 universities engaged and using the Tool in addition to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Interest from other local authorities and anchor institutions is growing, but it is still early days.
Given the focus of the new National Procurement Policy Statement, which sets clear priorities of:
✅ Support SMEs and VCSEs – boosting economic growth and local supply chains
✅ Tackle carbon emissions – reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with UK national carbon budget
✅ Build procurement & business skills – closing knowledge gaps
then the importance of combining supplier development and engagement with sustainability and specifically carbon reduction has never been as important. Achieving this in partnership with other sector public sector bodies just makes sense, lightens the load and maximises the positive impact we can have.
The tool acknowledges the differing maturity of suppliers on the journey to net zero – some will have already calculated their carbon footprint and created a Carbon Action Plan, whilst others will have not.
For those that have calculated their carbon emissions the tool asks for some primary information including size of business, provision of goods/services supplied, business turnover and carbon footprint reporting year before going on to requesting the supplier’s carbon footprint and a weblink to their plan.
For those that haven’t calculated their carbon emissions, by working through tool they receive their carbon footprint and a Carbon Action Plan, which they can upload to their website as their public declaration to net zero. Watch the video to see what suppliers are asked to do and how they are supported.
