A Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) is a short, published document. Bidders for many UK central government contracts must provide one. Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, the requirement sits in Procurement Policy Note 006 (PPN 006), which replaced PPN 06/21. The content of the plan is essentially unchanged.
When a Carbon Reduction Plan is needed
PPN 006 applies to central government procurements with an anticipated value of £5 million a year or more (excluding VAT), where the requirement is relevant and proportionate to the contract. Many other public bodies, including NHS England for its own procurements, have adopted similar requirements. Read each tender's documents for the exact wording.
What the plan must contain
A CRP follows the Cabinet Office template and includes:
- A commitment to net zero by 2050 at the latest. An earlier year is allowed.
- Baseline emissions: a baseline year and its emissions, with the reason for choosing that year.
- Current emissions for the most recent reporting year.
- Emissions coverage:
- Scope 1 and Scope 2 in full.
- Five Scope 3 categories: upstream transportation and distribution (category 4), waste generated in operations (5), business travel (6), employee commuting (7), and downstream transportation and distribution (9).
- Emissions reduction targets, with the projected trajectory.
- Carbon reduction projects: measures already completed, and those planned for the contract period.
- Declaration and sign-off by a director or equivalent. The plan must be published on the bidder's website and updated at least annually.
Emissions are reported in tCO₂e following the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard.
Where bidders go wrong
- Different numbers in different places. The CRP, the SECR disclosure and tender answers often come from separate spreadsheets. Evaluators and auditors notice when they disagree. We explain why this matters in why Scope 3 figures disagree.
- A baseline nobody can reproduce. If the baseline year's records are gone, the reduction claimed against it cannot be checked. Lock a base year with a recalculation policy.
- Missing Scope 3 categories. Commuting and waste are often left out because the data is scattered. Waste tickets are a good source: see from a waste ticket to a reported tonne.
- No director sign-off, discovered at submission.
How MetricOra helps
MetricOra's bid carbon pack includes a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan built from your published snapshots, active base year and targets. Every figure in it matches the dashboard and your other reports. A readiness check runs before the pack is generated and blocks it if there is no base year, no director sign-off, or no net zero year by 2050. See public-sector suppliers and pricing: the bid carbon pack is in the Growth plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is PPN 006? The Cabinet Office note, in force for procurements under the Procurement Act 2023, that requires Carbon Reduction Plans from bidders for in-scope contracts.
Which contracts? Central government contracts of £5 million a year or more, where relevant and proportionate.
Which emissions? Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 categories 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9.
Did the content change from PPN 06/21? Not materially; the update aligned it with the new Act.
To see every section filled in, read the PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan example for a fictional civils contractor.
Social value is scored separately. From January 2027 central government uses a jobs and skills model: see PPN 026 explained for contractors.