Southwark Council's Climate Action Plan faces a challenge as emissions from council purchasing activities rise by 10%, despite an overall borough-wide reduction.
Southwark Council's Executive committee received an update on its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, revealing a significant increase in Scope 3 emissions – those generated through the council's procurement of goods and services – between 2023 and 2024. This rise, from 338 ktCO2e to 371 ktCO2e, occurred even as borough-wide emissions saw a 6% decrease and council operational emissions fell by 3%.
The primary driver for this increase in Scope 3 emissions is attributed to a rise in both the volume of purchasing and increased costs due to inflation. The report notes: For the third consecutive year this spending has increased in terms of the number of goods and services we bought. Spending has also increased due to cost of those items rising due to inflation. Both things have led to an increase in our supply chain emissions, and underlines why our sustainable procurement work is so vital.
The report, presented by Councillor Eloise Waldon-Day, Executive Member for Council Coordination and Climate, underscored the scale of the challenge in tackling the climate crisis, noting that progress made so far is still only scratching the surface.
To address the rise in procurement emissions, Southwark Council is implementing a dedicated sustainable procurement strategy. A Sustainable Procurement Manager has been appointed to lead this work, with initial efforts focusing on research, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with local authorities through the Local Responsible Procurement Network (LRPN). Market research has also been undertaken to identify tools for monitoring and reporting sustainable procurement outcomes. Action 28 of the Climate Action Plan specifically targets the reduction of the carbon footprint of goods and services purchased by the council.
Despite the increase in Scope 3 emissions, the council remains committed to its 2030 carbon neutrality target. The report detailed that borough-wide emissions reduced by 6% between 2023 and 2024, a figure that, while positive, is tempered by the rise in emissions from council purchasing.
The council acknowledges its significant budget gap but plans to balance its commitment to emission reduction targets by using its resources strategically and advocating for necessary funding and powers from national government. Councillor Waldon-Day stated, we have a really challenging position financially that everybody's well aware of, but recommitting ourselves to using our resources as strategically as possible to keep tackling the climate crisis and to keep advocating for the funding and powers that we need as local authorities to tackle the scale of the transition.
The council is also seeking to secure additional external investment for decarbonisation, community energy, climate adaptation, and nature recovery projects.
Councillor Waldon-Day emphasized the need for a critical look at current actions while celebrating positive climate action happening throughout the communities. These include ongoing support for 46 community-led clean energy and energy efficiency projects, such as solar installations at Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich and Crampton Primary School, and air source heat pumps at Crawford Primary School. The council is also supporting biodiversity plans, green skills and jobs initiatives, and circular economy projects like the Library of Things. Southwark has also received recognition for its work on sustainable food systems.
The council will continue to work with partners and communities to drive emission reductions and adapt to the already unavoidable impacts of climate change.
For more details on the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, refer to the Public reports pack for the Executive meeting on Tuesday 13 October 2026.