The NHS has committed to reach net zero by 2045 for the emissions it can influence, and most of those come from its suppliers. Its Net Zero Supplier Roadmap sets out what it will ask of suppliers, year by year. This guide explains what applies today, what changes in April 2027, and how to get ready. If you want a quick answer for your business, use the NHS supplier checker.
What applies now?
| How you sell to the NHS | What you need today |
|---|---|
| Direct contract above £5m a year | A Carbon Reduction Plan to the PPN 006 standard (UK minimum, global encouraged) |
| Direct contract of £5m a year or less | A Net Zero Commitment, or a Carbon Reduction Plan |
| NHS Supply Chain framework tender | Evergreen Level 1 at tender close, which includes a published PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan |
| Subcontractor | Whatever your main supplier asks, usually the same documents |
NHS England's guidance (version 3, December 2025) says any current plan written to the central government PPN 006 standard is accepted. A 2050 net zero date meets the minimum, but suppliers are encouraged to aim for 2045. Read our Carbon Reduction Plan guide for what goes in one.
What is Evergreen Level 1?
Evergreen is the NHS sustainable supplier assessment: an online self-assessment that scores your sustainability maturity in levels. NHS Supply Chain requires Level 1 at the point of tender close for every tender from 6 April 2026. To reach it you need to:
- commit to net zero by 2050 or sooner;
- publish a PPN 006 compliant Carbon Reduction Plan; and
- report your UK Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions.
What changes on 1 April 2027?
New NHS guidance replaces the current requirements for procurements that start from 1 April 2027. For contracts of £5 million a year or more, and for every new NHS framework (applied at framework level, not each call-off), the Carbon Reduction Plan must:
- use a global boundary, covering every country you operate in, not just the UK;
- report baseline and current emissions for Scope 1, Scope 2 and all relevant Scope 3 categories, not only the five PPN 006 asks for;
- cover the seven Kyoto Protocol gases in tonnes of CO2e;
- commit to net zero by 2050 or earlier, set out your environmental management measures, and be board or director approved and published.
Contracts below £5 million a year keep the current requirements. The biggest new piece of work for most suppliers is Scope 3 category 1, purchased goods and services, which is often the largest part of a footprint and is usually estimated from spend.
The full timeline
| When | What the NHS asks |
|---|---|
| April 2022 | NHS tenders give at least 10% of the score to net zero and social value. |
| April 2023 | Contracts above £5 million a year need a Carbon Reduction Plan for UK Scope 1, 2 and five Scope 3 categories. |
| April 2024 | Every new procurement asks for something: a Carbon Reduction Plan above £5 million a year, a Net Zero Commitment below. |
| 6 April 2026 | NHS Supply Chain tenders need Evergreen Level 1, including a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan, at tender close. |
| 1 April 2027 | Contracts of £5 million a year or more and all new frameworks need a global plan covering all relevant Scope 3. |
| April 2028 | Carbon footprints for individual products supplied to the NHS. |
| 2030 | The NHS only buys from suppliers that meet or exceed its net zero commitments. |
How to get ready for 2027
- Publish a Net Zero Commitment or Carbon Reduction Plan now, so you can keep bidding.
- Pick a baseline year with complete data, ideally your last full financial year.
- Measure Scope 1 and 2 from your energy bills and fuel records.
- Add the five PPN 006 Scope 3 categories, then work through the rest: purchased goods, capital goods, and any that apply to your products.
- Include any sites or staff outside the UK.
- Set reduction measures you can actually deliver, and review the plan every year.
Carbon Recycling does steps 2 to 6 from your bills and records, with every figure traced to the government factor that produced it, and produces the plan in the government template.