The national park authority is aiming to play a leading role in tackling climate change by transforming the way it operates.
The park is set to is set to consider the challenge of minimising the environmental impact of the goods and services it buys in.
Leaders of the North York Moors Park Authority have expressed an ambition for it to show leadership over climate change and it is hoped by focussing on the issue of bought-in emissions the authority could inspire others to review the goods and services they buy.
An authority meeting next Monday will hear much of the emissions linked to procurement remain outside of its direct control, so it would not be possible in the medium term for the authority to achieve net zero emissions over the energy used in the processes of manufacturing and producing goods and services.
An officer’s report to the park’s audit committee states it is widely accepted for most organisations carbon footprint of the emissions embodied in the goods and services procured is considerably larger than other elements, such as heating or vehicle emissions.
However, in total, activities and goods contributing to the authority’s the carbon footprint represents £2.7m of the authority’s spend.
The authority’s procurement carbon footprint for 2019/2020 is estimated at 694 tonnes of emissions, more than double the 305 tonne footprint of the emissions generated directly by the authority’s activities for the same period.
The largest element of the bought-in emissions by the authority relate to construction and buildings works, followed by external professional, scientific and technical services
The officer’s report states how work to conserve a former iron mine at Warren Moor had created some 107 tonnes of emissions.
It concludes that
“real emission reductions can be achieved through designing purchasing policies which favour low or zero emission goods and services”.
The report states bought-in emissions could be cut by reusing and repairing current goods more, buying goods with fewer/recycled resources involved in production and liaising with suppliers to maximise the buying of local, recyclable and resaleable goods and services.
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