Scotland is committed to addressing the climate emergency, which includes achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045 or sooner.
Net zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it.
This means that by 2045, Scotland intends to add no more carbon into the atmosphere than the amount we are removing.
Quickfire Guide
Scope 1, 2 and 3 Carbon Emissions
Carbon emissions are classified as Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, as defined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions arising from owned or controlled sources e.g. owned vehicles, combustion of fuel in facilities
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased energy e.g. electricity, heating, cooling
Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions that occur in the organisation’s value chain e.g. purchased goods and services, waste, business travel, staff commuting, water
Under climate change legislation public bodies have a duty to address:
- climate mitigation - reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change,
- adaptation - deliberate and systematic adjustment of systems and processes to effectively address both anticipated and actual climate change impacts,
- and to act sustainably - in a way that minimises damage to the environment.
The Scottish Public Sector is committed that the transition to a net zero and climate resilient economy will be delivered fairly, and tackle inequality and injustice. This is referred to as a Just Transition.
What Does this Mean for Public Sector Contracts?
Public procurement law and policy already reflects environmental considerations principally through the sustainable procurement duty of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. It requires public bodies to consider and act on opportunities to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their area in the course of their procurements.
This means Public procurement in Scotland is expected to contribute to Scotland’s climate change targets. The contracts we put in place for goods, services, and works can create opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changing climate.
How we procure goods, services and works is a key way to achieve net zero carbon emissions and respond to the Climate Emergency e.g. by shifting away from the use of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) and/or reuse of existing goods instead of buying new.
Public sector buyers are expected to consider climate change in:
- whether to buy at all
- what to buy
- how to buy
- how much to buy
- end of life/recycle/reuse options
Options for action include: avoiding the purchase, using less, shifting from purchasing a ‘product’ to purchasing a service e.g. leasing, taking advantage of ‘take back’ schemes for packaging, thinking about design for re-use and remanufacture through to recycling and consideration of end-of-life management.
This means that you are increasingly expected to ask bidders and suppliers to provide low carbon goods, services and works, and deliver circular solutions.
More information can be found at Public sector procurement and climate change.
Climate Literacy
To support this ambition public sector procurers are expected to be climate literate. The Scottish Government Sustainable Procurement Tools provide eLearning which includes an Introduction to Sustainable Public Procurement, Climate Literacy for Procurers and Circular Procurement and Supply.
Each of the elearning modules is designed to increase procurers confidence in addressing environmental opportunities through their procurement activity.