The Council has committed to being “A Carbon Neutral Council by 2030”.
In the financial year 2023/24, emissions from purchased goods and services (supply chain) accounted for 75% of RCTCBC’s total carbon footprint.
Supply chain emissions arise from all activities associated with the goods and services the Council purchases, and the construction of new capital assets like roads and buildings. These purchases contain ‘embedded carbon’ – the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the whole production process and life cycle of a product. This includes upstream activities like the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing and distribution of products, as well as downstream activities like the emissions associated with the use of a good or service and the end-of-life disposal of that product.
When we procure goods and services the carbon footprint of the organisations and of the goods or services we procure will now need to be considered both in the specification and the evaluation. Suppliers and contractors are asked these standard questions as part of all tenders:
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Carbon Net Zero - 1
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Is your organisation able to calculate its carbon footprint in accordance with the Green House Gas Corporate Accounting Protocol?
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Carbon Net Zero - 2
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If you have answered yes to Question Carbon Net Zero 1, please state your current annual footprint. If not state NA.
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Carbon Net Zero - 3
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Would you be able to calculate the carbon footprint in accordance with the Green House Gas Corporate Accounting Protocol of this specific contract?
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Carbon Net Zero - 4
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What is your organisation doing to reduce its carbon footprint?
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Carbon Net Zero - 5
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What proposals would you put in place to reduce the carbon emissions from this contract?
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Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is also following the guidance provided by the Welsh Government in the Welsh Procurement Policy Note (WPPN) 12/21, focusing on decarbonisation through procurement. The WPPN 12/21 advises the Welsh public sector on the actions that can be taken to address CO2e emissions in supply chains or purchased goods and services to help them meet the Welsh Government target for a Net Zero Public Sector by 2030.
In response to this WPPN 12/21, the Council has developed a Carbon Footprint Calculator to address Scope 3 emissions produced by the Council’s purchased goods and services. The Calculator uses Tier 1 spend-base data, to calculate the CO2e emissions from individual suppliers, and provides businesses with a breakdown of their emissions for Scope 1,2 & 3, along with their total carbon footprint.
Definitions of Scope 1,2 & 3 emissions are defined below, with further information included in the RCT’s Decarbonisation Strategy (2023 – 2025):
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SCOPE 1
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Direct emissions of an organisation, including combustion of fuels and fugitive emissions
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SCOPE 2
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Scope 2 Indirect emissions of an organisation, including purchased electricity and heat
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SCOPE 3
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Other indirect emissions associated with an organisation, including the supply chain, transport and distribution, business travel and commuting, use of products, waste, investments and other leased assets or franchises.
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