Sustainable Procurement and Net Zero Carbon
We are committed to ensuring our activities have minimal impact on the environment and comply with relevant legislation, including modern slavery. Our strategy and procurement policies reflect our commitment to reducing environmental impact on the planet.
Our ambition is to be Net Zero Carbon
NTU has boldly committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon across all three carbon scopes by 2040, and our NZC Roadmap sets out our plan to meet this target. 55% of our baseline carbon emissions derive from our supply chains, and we recognise we can only reach Net Zero by working with suppliers who are committed to helping us meet our target.
Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool
Nottingham Trent University are proud to have developed the Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool in partnership with NETpositive Futures to address the challenge of building more sustainable supply chains to progress to net zero.
The Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool provides a simple and efficient way to engage with suppliers on sustainability, helping them to understand their carbon footprint and develop free bespoke carbon reduction plans. Through sourcing carbon data directly from suppliers, the Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool enables universities to develop a robust supply chain carbon footprint, in line with HE sector guidance, to inform their scope 3 reporting and help them meet their net zero ambitions.
Both universal and free, suppliers can either use the Tool to calculate or upload their carbon footprint. It can also provide suppliers with bespoke carbon reduction plans to articulate their commitments to net zero carbon as well as track progress on the actions required to meet this commitment.. Suppliers only require one account through which they indicate which universities they supply, allowing the sustainability and carbon data to be shared to all relevant universities. Due to the large amount of shared supply chains, the Tool provides an easy and accessible way for suppliers to share their sustainability credentials across the higher education sector.
Suppliers who have successfully been awarded a contract through a competitive tender process are required to sign up to the tool, provide their emissions data annually and work with us to reduce those emissions for the contract period. And, we also encourage other key suppliers to do the same.
We’re proud to have supported over 400 SME’s create bespoke carbon reduction plans for free via the Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool.
Read our case study: Shaping the future of sustainable procurement for the higher education sector.
Learn how our Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool can help suppliers create an effective carbon action plan.
One-year action research project (October 2023 - November 2024)
Following a pilot with a selection of our own suppliers, and a 6-month Beta Testing Phase with five other universities, NTU and NETpositive Futures embarked on a one-year Action Research Project (ARP) to evolve the Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool for the higher education sector, collaborating with over 100 sustainability and procurement professionals from over 30 universities.
Next steps:
The tool is now available for all UK universities (and some other public sector organisations) from 1 November 2024. Interested institutions should contact NETpositive: admin@netpositivefutures.co.uk
Award recognitions
NTU won the Money for Good Award at this year’s prestigious Green Gown Awards which was held on 13 November.
NTU also won the gold award under the category of Sustainability Impact Initiative at the Association of University Directors of Estates Awards for our Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool.
Universities were able to hear from Charlotte Wood, Sustainability Manager and Claire Davies, Sustainable Procurement Manager during a AUDE Awards Lunchtime Learning: Nottingham Trent University's Award winning Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool.
Read what NETpositive Futures have said about the accolade.
Sustainable Supply Chains
The Sustainability Team works closely with the Procurement Team and stakeholders to provide bespoke sustainability specifications and criteria for all tendered procurement activity.
We’re proud of the work we collectively doing in this area and will be sharing some of these examples soon.
As standard, NTU’s suppliers who have been awarded a contract through a competitive tender process are required to sign up to the Net Positive Futures Supplier Engagement Tool, which is a tool that is widely adopted by universities and purchasing consortia as a means of assessing their commitment to the environment and social value. Suppliers are required to create a sustainability action plan and update it throughout the lifetime of the contract
Ethics and values
We require all contracted suppliers to read and commit to supporting the University with its approach to sustainability and tackling slavery and trafficking in supply chains. These policies can be found on the Ethics and Values page.