We are seeking to reduce the negative environmental impacts of procuring goods, works and services, and encourage suppliers to join us on our decarbonisation journey.
Our Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy sets out our expectations of prospective suppliers in line with their own environmental commitments.
To find out more about our progress toward's Net Zero, visit our progress on becoming a carbon free council.
Quick links to support
| My business needs help with... | Support available |
|---|---|
| Reducing energy bills and improving our buildings | SME decarbonisation loan |
| Purchasing an electric van/mini-bus or bike | |
| Calculate and report on carbon footprint | Free Climate Essentials tool |
| Training to develop a carbon reduction plan | Free Net Zero Business Short Course |
| Diversifying a rural business | Rural England Prosperity Fund Grant SME decarbonisation loan |
| Decarbonising the supply chain | |
| Green skills | Green careers |
Benefits of decarbonising your business
- Cost savings. The average small-medium enterprise (SME) could reduce its energy bill by 18 - 25% by installing energy efficiency measures with an average payback of less than one and a half years.
- Increasingly regulatory bodies, like the Care Quality Commission, are adding environmental sustainability criteria to their inspection regimes. This is a great example in the health and social care industry and we expect this pattern to continue in other sectors.
- Be a leader in your market. 88% people want to engage with businesses that have environmentally sustainable credentials.
- Future-proof your business. By 2035 the sale of new petrol, diesel, hybrid cars and vans will be banned.
- Access to low emission zones. Electric vehicles (EVs) allow businesses to continue activities in areas within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
- Having a net zero policy and sustainability goals can increase your business credit score.
Climate Essentials - Carbon calculator
To help providers across Surrey County Council's supply chain understand how to calculate their carbon footprint, eligible suppliers (those with which the council has an annual spend of over £10,000 and a contract in place until March 2025), can now use the Climate Essentials carbon calculator free of charge.
Climate Essentials helps organisations measure, track, and reduce their carbon emissions and set a net-zero target. More information is detailed in this video.
Access to the platform will be granted to eligible Surrey County Council suppliers by emailing greenerfutures@surreycc.gov.uk.
Upon registration a welcome pack is provided to guide users on how to get the best results from the platform. The platform provides a great opportunity to organisation that do not currently report on their carbon emissions. The platform also allows users to generate reports for internal reporting purposes at no additional cost.
