Carbon Emission

Notes for Completion

Where an In-Scope Organisation has determined that the measure applies to the procurement, suppliers wishing to bid for that contract are required at the selection stage to submit a Carbon Reduction Plan which details their organisational carbon footprint and confirms their commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Carbon Reduction Plans are to be completed by the bidding supplier1 and must meet the reporting requirements set out in supporting guidance, and include the supplier’s current carbon footprint and its commitment to reducing emissions to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The CRP should be specific to the bidding entity, or, provided certain criteria are met, may cover the bidding entity and its parent organisation. In order to ensure the CRP remains relevant, a Carbon Reduction Plan covering the bidding entity and its parent organisation is only permissible where the detailed requirements of the CRP are met in full, as set out in the Technical Standard2 and Guidance3, and all of the following criteria are met:

● The bidding entity is wholly owned by the parent.

● The commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 for UK operations is set out in the CRP for the parent and is supported and adopted by the bidding entity, demonstrated by the inclusion in the CRP of a statement that this will apply to the bidding entity;

● The environmental measures set out are stated to be able to be applied by the bidding entity when performing the relevant contract; and

● The CRP is published on the bidding entity’s website.

Bidding entities must take steps to ensure they have their own CRP as soon as reasonably practicable and should note that the ability to rely on a parent organisation’s Carbon Reduction Plan may only be a temporary measure under this selection criterion.

The Carbon Reduction Plan should be updated regularly (at least annually) and published and clearly signposted on the supplier’s UK website. It should be approved by a director (or equivalent senior leadership) within the supplier’s organisation to demonstrate a clear commitment to emissions reduction at the highest level. Suppliers may wish to adopt the key objectives of the Carbon Reduction Plan within their strategic plans.

A template for the Carbon Reduction Plan is set out below. Please complete and publish your Carbon Reduction Plan in accordance with the reporting standard published alongside this PPN.

Carbon Reduction Plan

Supplier name: Mercylink Care

Publication date: August 6, 2025

Commitment to achieving Net Zero

Mercylink Care is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2030.

Baseline Emissions Footprint

Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.

Baseline Year: 2024

Additional Details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations.

This is Mercylink Care’s first emissions report; 2024 will therefore be the baseline year.

Baseline year emissions:

EMISSIONS

TOTAL (tCO2e)

Scope 1

0.1

Scope 2

1.3

Scope 3

(Included Sources)

86.1

Total Emissions

87.5

Emissions reduction targets

Mercylink Care is a healthcare agency providing staffing solutions to a wide variety of clients in the healthcare sector.

We are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint and are taking proactive steps to define our carbon reduction roadmap. As this is Mercylink Care’s first GHG report, we aim to develop a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy over the coming years. Using 2024 as

our baseline year, we commit to annually reducing our baseline emissions and achieving reduction rates aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C over the next five years.

Our organisation is focused on implementing a robust set of carbon reduction actions across various operational areas. The main emission categories for our 2024 GHG assessment are as follows: service purchases (62%), digital infrastructure (18%), travel and commute (12%), and food and drinks (4%). To achieve Net Zero, we have adopted the following carbon reduction targets:

● Service Purchases: We will assess our suppliers' climate maturity and incorporate carbon impact conditions into our service purchase policies to address Scope 3 emissions more effectively. We will also work on obtaining supplier-specific emission factors to enhance the precision of our Scope 3 emissions calculations.

● Digital Infrastructure: We plan to optimise our digital infrastructure by selecting

energy-efficient instances.

● Business Travel: We aim to replace a portion of our business travel with video conferencing, potentially reducing emissions by up to 8.9 tCO₂e.

● Food and Drinks: We intend to reduce food and packaging waste, targeting a reduction of up to 755 kg CO₂e. Additionally, we will raise employee awareness about the carbon impact of different foods to encourage more sustainable choices.

● Travel and Commute: We will promote teleworking, carpooling, and low-carbon commuting options. We also plan to implement a company-wide Mobility Plan.

These planned actions reflect our holistic approach to reducing our carbon footprint across all aspects of our operations.

While we have yet to quantify the full potential reduction of these initiatives, we plan to do so in the coming year. Our goal is to achieve reduction rates compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C over the next five years, in alignment with the Paris Agreement guidelines.

Carbon Reduction Projects

Completed Carbon Reduction Initiatives

So far, Mercylink Care is planning to implement the following carbon reduction initiatives:

● Service Purchases: Evaluate suppliers' climate maturity; Implement carbon impact conditions in service purchase policies; Obtain supplier-specific emission factors for more precise Scope 3 calculations.

● Business Travel: Replace a portion of business travel with video conferencing (Planned reduction: up to 8.9 tCO₂e).

● Travel and Commute: Promote teleworking and carpooling; Encourage low-carbon commuting options; Implement a company-wide Mobility Plan.

● Food and Drinks: Reduce food and packaging waste (Planned reduction: up to 755kg CO₂e); Raise employee awareness about the carbon impact of different foods.

● Digital Infrastructure: Select energy-efficient instances.

These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to sustainable practices and our ongoing efforts to reduce our environmental impact.

Declaration and Sign Off

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and the associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans.

Emissions have been reported and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard4 and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting5.

Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been reported in accordance with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions have been reported in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard 6.

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors (or equivalent management body).