Dr Ian Heptinstall

Project title

Embedding circular economy principles into public procurement of net zero solutions

Summary

Significant changes in public procurement are underway in the UK to achieve the 2050 net-zero commitment. From September 2021, prospective suppliers bidding for contracts above £5 million a year are required to commit to the government’s net-zero target. Also, the UK Clean Growth Strategy also requests Local Authorities to set net-zero target emissions from 2028. Public procurement can play a critical role in the delivery of local authorities’ pathway to net zero as well as supporting suppliers’ alignment to this ambition. However, research by Energy Systems Catapult in 2021 found that public procurement local government’s processes and local authorities’ culture needed substantial change to be aligned with net-zero ambition. This proposal explores how local authorities can embed circular economy principles into procurement of net zero solutions.

Our focus is on the development of an implementation framework that aids local authorities in the East Midlands region to understand and follow circular economy principles to foster industry innovations in the transportation sector. The outcome will be a public platform with information and guidance for local authorities across the region and beyond. The project will benefit from a multidisciplinary team from the Business School and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham.