Sustainability and Net Zero Policy

Policy effective date: 1 July 2026

The Women’s Organisation (TheWO) is publicly committed to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner and to reducing its emissions over time.

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how TheWO will manage and reduce the environmental impacts of its activities, make measurable progress towards Net Zero, and apply proportionate sustainability measures in procurement, partnerships and the delivery of publicly funded contracts.

It replaces and modernises The WO’s Environmental Policy dated June 2022. It also draws on the more developed governance, delivery and monitoring approach in the Social Value Collaborative Sustainability Policy, while adapting those provisions for The WO as the accountable bidding and contracting organisation.

2. Scope

This policy applies to TheWO’s Board, employees, workers, volunteers and consultants; its premises and business operations; projects, events and service delivery; purchasing and supplier management; and, where contractually appropriate, delivery partners, consortium members and subcontractors.

Where TheWO leads a consortium or partnership, this policy governs TheWO’s own conduct and the sustainability requirements it places within the relevant delivery arrangements. It does not represent or replace another organisation’s own Net Zero commitment or Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

3. Policy commitments

TheWO will:

• comply with applicable environmental law, contractual requirements and relevant public procurement guidance;
• achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, prioritising actual emissions reduction before any use of credible residual-emissions measures;
• understand, measure and progressively reduce its carbon footprint, covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and the relevant Scope 3 categories required by the applicable reporting standard;
• set interim, time-bound emissions-reduction targets and review performance at least annually;
• prevent pollution, use energy and materials efficiently, reduce waste and support reuse and recycling;
• embed proportionate environmental considerations in procurement, contract delivery, investment and operational decisions;
• equip staff and relevant delivery partners to implement this policy; and
• communicate progress accurately and transparently, avoiding unsupported environmental claims.

4. Net Zero and carbon management

4.1 Commitment and reduction hierarchy

TheWO’s target date is 2050 or sooner. TheWO will pursue this commitment through a reduction hierarchy: avoid emissions where practical; reduce energy and resource demand; replace higher-carbon energy, travel, goods and services with lower-carbon alternatives; and address only genuinely residual emissions using credible approaches consistent with prevailing good practice.

4.2 Measurement and baseline

TheWO will maintain an organisational greenhouse gas inventory in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). The inventory will use a documented methodology and current UK Government conversion factors, and will include:

• Scope 1 – direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by TheWO;
• Scope 2 – indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, steam or cooling; and
• relevant Scope 3 emissions. For Carbon Reduction Plans prepared to the applicable public procurement reporting standard, TheWO will assess and report the required Scope 3 categories: upstream transportation and distribution; waste generated in operations; business travel; employee commuting; and downstream transportation and distribution. Where a category is not applicable, this will be stated and justified transparently.

TheWO will establish and document a baseline year. Where complete historic data is unavailable, the first sufficiently complete reporting period may be adopted as the baseline, with exclusions, estimation methods and data limitations recorded transparently.

Initial baseline development: As this is TheWO’s first formal organisational greenhouse gas inventory and Carbon Reduction Plan, TheWO will establish its initial emissions baseline using the first reporting period for which sufficiently complete and reliable data can be obtained. The initial working period will be the 12 months to 30 June 2026, subject to data availability and quality. TheWO will progressively improve the completeness and quality of its emissions data as its carbon-management arrangements mature. Any estimates, exclusions, assumptions, data limitations or categories considered not applicable will be documented transparently.

4.3 Targets, plan and publication

TheWO will maintain a Carbon Reduction Plan or equivalent evidence base containing the Net Zero commitment, baseline and current emissions, interim reduction targets, completed and planned carbon-reduction initiatives, and the environmental management measures available for contract delivery. The CRP will be approved at the appropriate senior level, reviewed at least annually and published clearly on TheWO’s website.

For procurements applying PPN 006 or successor guidance, TheWO will ensure that the CRP and supplier declaration meet the reporting, approval, publication and recency requirements stated in the tender documents.

4.4 First-year implementation timetable

To move from policy commitment to a measurable first Carbon Reduction Plan, TheWO will work to the following initial timetable from 1 July 2026. Dates may be adjusted where evidence is not reasonably available, but any change and its rationale will be recorded.

By date	Milestone	Expected output
31 July 2026	Confirm governance, data owners and calculation methodology.	Named owners; data-source register; agreed reporting boundary and methodology.
30 September 2026	Complete collection and quality review of available data for the initial 12-month reporting period to 30 June 2026.	Evidence pack covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and required Scope 3 categories, with gaps and assumptions logged.
31 October 2026	Calculate and document the initial organisational GHG inventory and baseline.	Baseline emissions in tCO2e by scope/category; methodology, exclusions and limitations documented.
30 November 2026	Identify material emissions sources and agree proportionate interim reduction targets and priority actions.	Draft reduction targets and costed/prioritised Sustainability and Carbon Action Plan.
15 December 2026	Complete senior review and Board approval of the first Carbon Reduction Plan.	Approved CRP and confirmation of governance/sign-off.
31 December 2026	Publish the first Carbon Reduction Plan on TheWO website and retain the public URL.	Publicly accessible CRP and procurement-ready evidence.
Quarterly from 31 March 2027	Review action-plan delivery, data quality and material contract commitments.	Quarterly internal progress record and corrective actions where required.
By 31 December annually	Refresh emissions data, review targets and actions, secure appropriate approval and republish/update the CRP.	Current annual CRP and updated Sustainability and Carbon Action Plan.

5. Priority areas and operational measures

TheWO will manage environmental performance across five priority areas. Actions will be selected according to materiality, feasibility, cost, contract requirements and the quality of available data.

Priority area	Core measures
Energy	Monitor consumption; improve controls and efficiency; procure renewable electricity tariffs where available and credible; consider low-carbon heating and on-site generation when feasible.
Travel	Use digital and hybrid delivery where it remains inclusive and effective; avoid unnecessary journeys; promote public transport, walking, cycling, car sharing and lower-emission options; record material business-travel activity.
Transport	Reduce unnecessary deliveries and mileage; consolidate orders; consider vehicle efficiency, routing and lower-emission logistics in purchasing and project planning.
Procurement	Apply proportionate whole-life environmental criteria; reduce demand; consider durability, repairability, recycled content, packaging, ethical sourcing and supplier environmental performance; retain evidence for material decisions.
Resources, waste and recycling	Use digital systems and duplex printing; prevent waste; reuse and repair before recycling; segregate waste; use authorised disposal routes; minimise hazardous materials and avoid environmentally harmful processes where practicable.

TheWO will also maintain a safe, high-quality working environment, prevent avoidable noise and litter, manage environmental incidents, and consider biodiversity and local environmental effects where these are relevant to premises, events or service delivery.

6. Sustainable procurement and supply chain

Environmental requirements will be relevant and proportionate to the purchase and will operate alongside quality, social value, equality, accessibility, risk and whole-life value. TheWO will:

• define material environmental needs at the planning stage and avoid unnecessary purchasing;
• include appropriate sustainability specifications, questions, evaluation criteria or contract clauses where they are relevant and permitted;
• seek evidence rather than relying solely on broad supplier statements, particularly for high-value or high-impact procurements;
• consider whole-life cost and environmental impact, including energy use, maintenance, durability, packaging and end-of-life management;
• encourage suppliers to measure and reduce emissions and to provide relevant data needed for TheWO’s reporting;
• flow applicable requirements to subcontractors and delivery partners and monitor agreed commitments; and
• record the rationale where environmental criteria are not relevant or proportionate.

Local and third-sector suppliers can deliver important social and environmental value, but organisational form or location alone will not be treated as proof of Net Zero compliance. Evidence requirements will reflect the procurement, the supplier’s role and the applicable guidance.

7. Public contracts, partnerships and consortium delivery

For each material bid or contract, the bid or contract lead will identify environmental obligations at the outset and translate them into a delivery approach. This may include travel reduction, digital-first processes, energy and resource efficiency, sustainable events, responsible purchasing, waste controls, data collection and contract-specific reporting.

Where TheWO bids with consortium members, partners or key subcontractors:

• each consortium member will complete and publish its own CRP where the procurement guidance or tender requires this;
• TheWO will, where appropriate, support partners in progressing their own Net Zero goals by sharing guidance, templates and good practice examples; signposting relevant tools, training and external resources; facilitating knowledge exchange; and helping partners understand practical carbon-reduction actions and applicable data or reporting expectations. Each partner remains responsible for setting, approving and evidencing its own commitments and CRP;
• responsibility for environmental actions, data and evidence will be assigned in the consortium or subcontract arrangement;
• partners will provide timely, accurate information needed for bid verification and performance reporting; and
• TheWO will monitor contract-relevant sustainability commitments through proportionate governance arrangements.

8. Roles and responsibilities

Role	Accountability
Board of Directors	Approves this policy and TheWO’s public Net Zero commitment; reviews material performance, risks and the CRP; provides strategic oversight.
Chief Executive / Senior Management Team	Ensures sustainability and Net Zero are integrated into strategy, budgets, risk management and performance review; allocates appropriate resources.
Operations Director (Policy Owner)	Maintains the policy and environmental management arrangements; coordinates emissions data, action planning, incident response, legal updates and annual reporting.
Finance / Procurement Lead	Embeds proportionate environmental considerations in purchasing; maintains relevant supplier and expenditure data; supports whole-life value decisions.
Bid and Contract Leads	Identify tender requirements; ensure claims are supported; define contract-delivery measures, partner obligations, indicators and reporting routes.
Managers	Implement controls within their areas, engage staff, monitor agreed actions and escalate risks or non-conformance.
All staff and representatives	Follow this policy, use resources responsibly, complete relevant training, provide accurate data and report environmental incidents or improvement opportunities.
Partners and suppliers	Meet agreed contractual environmental requirements and provide evidence or performance information when requested.

9. Objectives, action planning and resources

An annual Sustainability and Carbon Action Plan will translate this policy into specific activities. Each action will have an owner, baseline or starting point, indicator, target, due date and status. Priorities will reflect material emissions sources, legal and contractual obligations, stakeholder expectations and practical opportunities for improvement.

TheWO will provide proportionate resources, information and training. Sustainability will be addressed in induction and role-specific guidance for staff involved in facilities, travel, procurement, bids, contracts, events, data collection and partner management.

10. Monitoring, assurance and reporting

Performance will be reviewed at least annually through TheWO’s governance arrangements, with more frequent monitoring for material contracts or action-plan items. The review will consider:

• Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions against baseline and interim targets;
• energy, travel, transport, procurement, resource and waste indicators;
• progress and overdue actions;
• contract and funder commitments, including partner or supplier data;
• environmental incidents, complaints, non-conformance and corrective actions;
• changes in legislation, procurement guidance, reporting standards and material organisational activity; and
• data quality, assumptions, limitations and opportunities for improved measurement.

Reported claims will be supported by records appropriate to their significance. These may include bills, meter readings, travel records, waste documentation, purchasing data, supplier evidence, calculation workbooks, meeting minutes and approved plans.

11. Incidents, concerns and continual improvement

Environmental incidents and suspected breaches of this policy must be reported promptly to the relevant manager and the Operations Director. TheWO will assess impact, meet any legal or contractual notification duties, investigate causes, record corrective actions and share learning where appropriate.

TheWO will seek continual improvement. Lessons from delivery, staff and stakeholder feedback, audits, research and good practice will inform future targets and controls.

12. Review and approval

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where there is a material change to TheWO’s operations, emissions profile, law, procurement guidance, reporting standards or contractual obligations. Material amendments and the public Net Zero commitment will be approved by the Board of Directors or another formally authorised governing body.

 

Appendix A – Annual Sustainability and Carbon Action Plan

Area	Action	Owner	Indicator	Baseline / target / status
GHG inventory	Confirm reporting boundary and data owners by 31 July 2026; collect and quality-check available data by 30 September 2026; calculate Scope 1, Scope 2 and required Scope 3 emissions and document methods, assumptions and limitations by 31 October 2026.	Operations Director / Finance	tCO2e by scope; data completeness	Initial reporting period: 12 months to 30 June 2026 (subject to data quality) Target: baseline completed by 31 October 2026 Status: In development
CRP publication	Prepare the first CRP following baseline calculation; secure Board approval by 15 December 2026; publish by 31 December 2026 and retain the public URL. Review and update at least annually.	Board / Operations Director	Approval date; publication date; URL	Baseline: no previous CRP Target: first CRP published by 31 December 2026; annual update thereafter Status: In development
Energy	Establish energy-use baseline from available bills/meter data by 30 September 2026; identify priority efficiency and renewable-energy actions by 30 November 2026; begin implementation from January 2027.	Operations	kWh; tCO2e; action completion	Baseline: establish by 31 October 2026 Target: priority actions agreed by 30 November 2026 Status: In development
Travel	Compile available business-travel data and establish a proportionate approach to employee commuting data by 30 September 2026; agree reduction measures by 30 November 2026; monitor quarterly from 31 March 2027.	Managers / Contract Leads	Miles/journeys by mode; tCO2e	Baseline: establish by 31 October 2026 Target: reduction measures agreed by 30 November 2026 Status: In development
Procurement	Review procurement approach and identify purchases where environmental criteria and supplier evidence are relevant by 30 September 2026; implement proportionate criteria for relevant new procurements from 1 January 2027.	Finance / Procurement	% relevant procurements assessed; evidence retained	Baseline: review completed by 30 September 2026 Target: criteria applied to relevant new procurements from 1 January 2027 Status: In development
Waste and resources	Confirm available waste and resource-use evidence by 30 September 2026; establish practical baseline indicators and priority reduction/reuse/recycling actions by 30 November 2026.	Operations	Waste by route; paper use; actions	Baseline: establish by 31 October 2026 where data permits Target: priority actions agreed by 30 November 2026 Status: In development
Contract delivery	From 1 July 2026, identify environmental obligations for each material new bid/contract and define proportionate measures, partner data duties and reporting routes before mobilisation or contract start.	Bid / Contract Leads	% relevant contracts with measures and reporting	Baseline: new control from 1 July 2026 Target: 100% of material new bids/contracts assessed for applicable environmental requirements Status: Ongoing