Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/carbon-reduction-plan Glossary # Carbon Reduction Plan (PPN 006) A published plan confirming a supplier's commitment to net zero by 2050 and reporting its emissions, required for major central government contracts. Updated 14 Oct 2026 A Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) is a short document in which a supplier commits to reaching net zero by 2050 in the UK, reports its current greenhouse gas emissions and describes the measures it is taking to reduce them. ## What it means The requirement comes from [PPN 006: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-006-taking-account-of-carbon-reduction-plans-in-the-procurement-of-major-government-contracts/ppn-006-taking-account-of-carbon-reduction-plans-html). It applies to central government departments and their agencies. For contracts with an estimated value above £5 million a year including VAT, buyers should include a CRP as a condition of participation, as part of assessing a supplier's technical ability, unless it is not relevant or proportionate. The plan must follow the template and technical standard published with the PPN. It covers Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and a defined subset of Scope 3 emissions, such as business travel and waste, along with your reduction targets and the environmental management measures you already have in place. ## Why it matters for SMEs Most SMEs will not bid directly for a £5 million a year central government contract, so PPN 006 may not apply to you as a prime supplier. It still matters in two ways. Larger primes increasingly ask their supply chain for carbon data, and many other buyers (councils, NHS bodies, housing associations) ask carbon questions of their own even where the PPN does not apply. A supplier that already has a credible plan answers these in minutes. ## Practical tip Write a CRP before you need one. Use the government template, calculate a baseline year honestly, have a director approve it and publish it on your UK website, as the PPN expects. Update it at least once a year. Then reuse the numbers in [social value](/glossary/social-value) answers and any environmental [award criteria](/glossary/award-criteria). A plan that is sitting on your site, signed off by a director, is far more convincing than a promise to produce one if you win. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)338 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)126 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)48 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)166 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)274 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)76 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms [Award criteriaThe published factors, such as quality, price and social value, that a buyer uses to score tenders and pick the most advantageous one.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/award-criteria)[Below-threshold contractA public contract worth less than the relevant procurement threshold, covered by lighter rules in Part 6 of the Procurement Act 2023.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/below-threshold-contract)[Call-off contractA contract awarded to a supplier under an existing framework, either directly or after a further competition between framework suppliers.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/call-off-contract)[Central Digital PlatformThe government's online system, run through Find a Tender, where buyers publish Procurement Act notices and suppliers register their details once.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/central-digital-platform)[Clarification questionsQuestions a bidder sends the buyer during a tender to resolve ambiguity, with answers usually shared with every bidder.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/clarification-questions)[Competitive flexible procedureA tendering procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 that the buyer designs itself, which can include shortlisting, negotiation and several rounds.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/competitive-flexible-procedure) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)