Carbon Reduction Plan for a government tender
Include the bidding supplier’s baseline and current emissions, net zero commitment, reduction targets and measures, plus approval and sign-off. Report all UK Scope 1 and 2 emissions and the required Scope 3 subset, then publish the plan. It is not a complete purchased-goods footprint. Cambridge China Bridge can help request supporting factory information.
Prepare the bidding supplier’s plan
Check the tender instructions and use the Cabinet Office template. Prepare the plan for the bidding supplier, rather than substituting a Chinese factory’s environmental statement. Include the supplier’s name, publication date, baseline year and emissions, current reporting year and emissions, reduction targets, completed measures, proposed measures and declaration.
Confirm commitment to net zero for UK operations by 2050 at the latest. Describe measures already in place that can be applied when performing the contract. Give proposed measures an owner and explain how you will track progress. If you have never reported emissions, state this and use your first reporting period as the baseline.
Include the required emissions
Include all UK Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, plus the required Scope 3 categories below. Scope 1 covers sources you own or control, such as fuel burned in company vehicles. Scope 2 covers purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling. Keep the reporting period consistent throughout the submission.
Report emissions in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent using appropriate UK government conversion factors. Keep bills, activity records, calculation methods and assumptions together. For logistics, identify who pays for each movement and who owns or controls the vehicles and storage facilities before assigning the category.
| Category | Records to gather |
|---|---|
| Upstream transportation and distribution | Supplier-to-business freight and purchased transport or storage, including outbound services you pay for |
| Waste generated in operations | Waste quantities, materials and disposal or treatment routes |
| Business travel | Travel bookings, transport modes and distances |
| Employee commuting | Staff travel modes and commuting distances |
| Downstream transportation and distribution | Transport and storage after sale where you do not pay for those services |
Keep purchased-goods work separate
The required Scope 3 subset does not include purchased goods and services. A compliant plan therefore does not establish a complete footprint for the goods you buy from China. The Cabinet Office describes it as a summary document, not a replacement for organisational carbon-footprint reporting.
If the buyer also requests manufacturing or product-footprint data, agree a separate boundary and evidence request. Ask factories for material quantities, energy records, production allocation methods and any verification report. Do not treat a factory-wide total as your order’s footprint. See our guides to environmental claims and UK CBAM for those separate questions.
Record approval and sign-off
The plan should state that the board of directors, or equivalent management body, has approved it and give the approval date. A limited liability partnership should record members’ approval instead. The plan must also be signed off by a director, equivalent officer or designated partnership member.
Include the signatory’s name, job title and date. A physical signature is not required, but the plan should clearly state that it has been signed. Before approval, check the supplier name, reporting boundary, calculations and whether the stated measures can actually be used during the contract.
Publish, refresh and check the tender copy
Publish the latest plan on your UK website with a prominent homepage link. Keeping previous plans available is good practice. If you have no website, provide a written copy to anyone requesting it within 30 days. Review and update the plan annually, within 6 months of your financial year-end.
Open the public link before submitting the tender and check that it reaches the approved version. Keep the calculation file and approval record alongside the submitted copy. Ask your forwarder for activity data supporting the logistics calculations; our guide to comparing freight forwarder quotes helps you identify the services involved.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Carbon Reduction Plan include Chinese factory emissions?
The required plan reports UK operational emissions and a defined supply-chain subset. Manufacturing emissions in purchased goods are outside that required subset; check whether the tender requests them separately.
Who must approve and sign a Carbon Reduction Plan?
Record board or equivalent management approval and its date, or members’ approval for a limited liability partnership. A director, equivalent officer or designated partnership member must sign off, with name, job title and date.
Where should I publish my Carbon Reduction Plan?
Publish it on your UK website with a prominent homepage link. If you have no website, provide a written copy within 30 days of a request.
Does my Carbon Reduction Plan need an external audit?
The technical standard says there is no requirement to have your carbon footprint audited. Retain the records and calculations supporting the figures, and check any separate tender evidence requests.