Businesses supplying Wiltshire Council must now showcase their sustainability standards to keep trading with the local authority. At the inaugural meeting of the council's new cabinet last week, Andrew Nicolson from Wiltshire Climate Alliance asked the council to "beef up" its procurement protocols.
The council this week revealed that new supplier standards are set to be implemented.
Wiltshire Climate Alliance had previously mounted a successful campaign persuading Wiltshire Council to recognise the climate emergency in 2019. A resolution proposed by Lib Dem councillor Dr Brian Mathew – who now serves as MP for Melksham and Devizes – secured passage, albeit narrowly, facing resistance initially from Conservative members. The Conservatives later revised their stance, committing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Several of the new cabinet members meeting this week were instrumental in advocating for the council's endorsement of the climate declaration six years earlier.
Mr Nicolson, who is currently coordinating a Climate Summit at County Hall scheduled for June 20 and 21 alongside the council, said: "Although the council is ahead of its own net zero target, the county generally is behind.
"Wiltshire Council's procurement requirements are among the weakest ones when it comes to sustainability.
"Would the council consider beefing up its procurement requirements so that its suppliers know that they will be called upon to show their commitment and their achievement in decarbonising and that they have a path to net zero?".
Cllr Gavin Grant, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for finance, said this week: "The new leadership of Wiltshire Council is very committed to driving our net zero targets.
"We've already embedded climate action across our procurement. Our suppliers are required (where appropriate) to demonstrate how they'll support our net-zero goals, and we're using that to drive real change.
"We've analysed our highest-emitting contracts, are working actively and closely with providers to reduce emissions, and we're tracking progress through national and local reporting tools. This is a core part of our Climate Delivery Plan 2025.
"Our approach was recognised nationally at the Edie Net Zero Awards, based on the collaboration with Milestone Infrastructure to embed net zero into our highways contract, from evaluation to delivery.
"We're also supporting smaller organisations to decarbonise and share in this agenda. A strengthened set of supplier requirements is in development and will be published in due course."
It was confirmed this week that Wiltshire Council is outperforming many local authorities in achieving its net zero ambitions.
The second edition of the Council Climate Action Scorecards from Climate Emergency º£½ÇÊÓƵ ranked the authority among the top ten per cent of councils nationally. According to Climate Emergency º£½ÇÊÓƵ, local councils have the potential to influence up to thirty per cent of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's transition to net zero.
