Introducing WPPN 006
Public procurement in Wales has changed. If you want to win large public contracts, you now need to take decarbonisation seriously. That’s where Welsh Procurement Policy Note 006 (WPPN 006) comes in. You may also see this referred to by its earlier name, WPPN 06/21. Both terms describe the same policy, updated in line with Wales’s Net Zero 2030 goal.
This policy is a crucial tool designed to help achieve one of the most ambitious climate goals in the world: making the Welsh public sector net zero by 2030. Understanding this national mission is key to understanding why Carbon Reduction Plans (CRPs) are now essential for businesses in Wales.
At the heart of the Welsh sustainability landscape is “Net Zero Wales,” the nation’s overarching strategy to combat climate change. This plan is backed by legally binding carbon budgets and a clear “Route Map for Decarbonisation” for the public sector. The Welsh Government knows it cannot reach this 2030 target on its own. The public sector spends billions of pounds each year on goods, services, and works from thousands of private companies. This immense purchasing power is now being strategically used as a lever to drive decarbonisation throughout the Welsh economy.
What is WPPN 006?
WPPN 006 is the primary policy connecting the government’s climate ambitions with its supply chain. It requires any business bidding for a public contract worth over £5 million per year to publish a credible Carbon Reduction Plan. By enforcing this rule, the government ensures that its largest suppliers are actively measuring their emissions, setting reduction targets, and contributing to the national net zero goal.
For any business involved in public procurement in Wales, the message is clear: sustainability is now a core component of doing business.
In practice, this means:
- If you’re bidding for a Welsh public sector contract worth over £5 million per year, you must submit a Carbon Reduction Plan.
- The plan needs to follow a specific format, aligned with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and DEFRA conversion factors. The GHG Protocol establishes the world’s most widely used standardised frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions. DEFRA conversion factors are figures published annually by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs that allow organisations to convert their activity data (e.g., litres of fuel used, miles driven, or kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed) into a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
- You must cover Scope 1, Scope 2, and select Scope 3 emissions.
- The plan must be published on your website and updated annually.
The Welsh Government has published full details here: WPPN 006 guidance.
WPPN 06/21 vs WPPN 006: What’s the Difference?
WPPN 006 was previously known as WPPN 06/21. The update brought the policy in line with Wales’s net zero commitments but kept the core requirement the same: businesses bidding for Welsh public sector contracts worth over £5m per year must publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. Whether you see it written as WPPN 006 or WPPN 06/21, the expectations for suppliers are identical.
Why WPPN 006 matters
This is part of a bigger push to make Wales a low-carbon economy. Public procurement has huge leverage. If every supplier bidding for multimillion-pound contracts has to cut carbon, that drives systemic change and takes Wales towards reaching its targets.
For your business, the implications are clear:
- No CRP = no bid. If you don’t comply, you won’t even be considered.
- Competitiveness. Many bidders will have credible CRPs. Weak or non-compliant plans put you at a disadvantage.
- Future-proofing. These requirements are spreading beyond public contracts. Private clients and investors increasingly expect the same level of transparency.
WPPN 06/21 vs WPPN 006: What’s the Difference?
WPPN 006 was previously known as WPPN 06/21. The update brought the policy in line with Wales’s net zero commitments but kept the core requirement the same: businesses bidding for Welsh public sector contracts worth over £5m per year must publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. Whether you see it written as WPPN 006 or WPPN 06/21, the expectations for suppliers are identical.
Who needs to comply?
If you’re reading this it is likely that you will need to comply with PPN 006. In essence you have to get this on your radar if you’re a:
- Large contractor: If you’re bidding for Welsh Government, NHS Wales, or local authority contracts worth £5m+, compliance is mandatory.
- Looking to be part of the SMEs in supply chain: Even if you’re not bidding directly, Tier 1 contractors (the main contractor that bids for and wins a contract directly from the client -in this case, the Welsh public sector body), will pass requirements down to you. Many now ask suppliers for CRPs or equivalent data.
- Service and product businesses alike: Whether you’re in construction, IT, healthcare, or professional services, the rules apply if your contracts meet the threshold.
How WPPN 006 links to PPN 006 (formerly 06/21)
You may have heard of PPN 06/21. That’s the UK-wide requirement for CRPs in central government contracts. The two are closely aligned:
- Scope: Both apply to contracts worth £5m+ per year.
- Structure: Both require the published CRP format.
- Baseline: Both follow the GHG Protocol and DEFRA factors.
- Scopes covered: Both include Scope 1, 2, and select Scope 3 categories (business travel, commuting, waste, transport, and distribution).
The main difference is that WPPN 006 applies specifically to Wales. If you bid in England and Wales, you’ll need to ensure your CRP is compliant with both.
For further context, see our page on PPN 06/21 public procurement.
What a Carbon Reduction Plan must include
A CRP is not a vague promise. It’s a structured document with set requirements. At minimum, you must cover:
1. Commitment to Net Zero
A public statement that your organisation is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Net zero refers to the state where the amount of greenhouse gases an entity puts into the atmosphere is balanced by the amount it removes.
2. Reporting Year and Baseline
- State your baseline year (the reference point for reductions).
- Provide emissions data for that year.
3. Emissions Reporting
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from fuel, company vehicles, and on-site gas.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, steam, or cooling.
- Scope 3 (selected categories): Business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, upstream/downstream transport and distribution.
4. Carbon Reduction Targets
- Specific, measurable targets with timelines.
- Not vague percentages without a baseline.
5. Actions to Reduce Emissions
- Clear, credible initiatives (e.g. fleet electrification, energy efficiency measures, renewable energy).
6. Governance and Sign-off
- The plan must be signed at board level.
- Publish it on your website.
For a detailed breakdown, check our guide to key elements of a pitch-winning Carbon Reduction Plan.
Common mistakes we see in CRPs
We’ve reviewed hundreds of plans. The same errors crop up again and again:
- Missing Scope 3 categories. Many firms forget employee commuting or downstream transport.
- Unrealistic targets. Pledging 80% reduction in 3 years with no delivery plan.
- Outdated emission factors. Using last year’s DEFRA data instead of the latest.
- No baseline year. Without a baseline, reductions are meaningless.
- Hidden CRP. If your plan isn’t published online, it’s non-compliant.
We explore these pitfalls in depth in our Carbon Reduction Plan mistakes guide.
Step-by-step: how to comply with WPPN 006
Step 1 – Gather your data
Collect energy bills, fuel usage, fleet mileage, business travel, commuting surveys, and waste data. Don’t worry if it’s messy—you can clean it later.
Step 2 – Calculate emissions
Convert activity data into carbon using DEFRA emission factors. Use the latest set each reporting year.
Step 3 – Set your baseline
Choose a baseline year. Make sure data is reliable and can be updated annually.
Step 4 – Define reduction targets
These must be specific, achievable, and measurable. For example:
“Reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 20% by 2027 against a 2022 baseline.”
Step 5 – Outline reduction initiatives
List practical measures—such as switching to EVs, improving insulation, or changing waste providers.
Step 6 – Governance and publication
Have your board sign off. Publish the CRP on your website. Update it yearly.
Our streamlined Carbon Reduction Plan service
All sounds a bit overwhelming? You’re not alone.
That’s exactly why we created our streamlined Carbon Reduction Plan service. We’ll take the chore and bore out of the whole process—streamlining the data collection, analysis, target setting, and development of business-centric actions that you can actually implement.
You’ll get:
- A fully compliant, published CRP.
- Guaranteed alignment with WPPN 006 and PPN 06/21.
- Support that saves you dozens of hours of wasted internal effort.
