CP2282-22 Devon County Council Provision of Carbon Offsets

Description

The Authority has committed to offsetting an increasing proportion of its carbon emissions over the period to 2030 from when it hopes to achieve full carbon neutrality each year. Initially this entailed looking to offset 5% of its 2019/20, 7.5% of its 2020/21 and 10% of its 2021/22 emissions through the UK Woodland Carbon Code or UK Peatland Carbon Code. In the end, due to market availability, Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) registered under the Woodland Carbon Code, that will mostly mature in the 2030s and early 2040s, were purchased. For the provision of this contract the Authority is looking to buy more carbon units and/or PIUs. Carbon unit Requirements Carbon units offered must be: - • From UK-Based natural environment projects • Verified to a Voluntary Carbon Market Standard which is recognised by ICROA or other similar VCM standards organisation • Where the carbon units or PIUs offered are from woodland creation or maintenance projects, these must be from native woodland schemes, not from non-native projects such as Sitka Spruce conifer plantations. We appreciate that the market may not be able to provide many carbon credits. We are prepared to accept PIUs that will be verified and converted into Carbon Units by no later than 2045. PIU unit Requirements PIUs must be: - • Verified and converted into full VCM standard carbon units by no later than 2045 • Where the carbon units or PIUs offered are from woodland creation or maintenance projects, these must be from native woodland schemes, not from non-native projects such as Sitka Spruce conifer plantations. The Authority has £74,000 available for this contract and wants to purchase as many Carbon Units or PIUs as possible for this budget Additional information: www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk The authority reserves the right to cancel the procurement process at any stage. The authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender, and reserve the right not to award a contract. The authority reserves the right to award the contract in part, or to call for new tenders should they consider this necessary. Economic operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from them in connection with their participation in this procurement, whether incurred directly by them or their advisors or subcontractors and regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence direct or indirect of any amendments to documents issued by the authority at any time, or as a consequence of the cancellation of the procurement by the authority. For the avoidance of doubt, the authority shall have no liability whatsoever to economic operators or their advisors or subcontractors, for any of their costs, including but not limited to those for any discussions or communications. Any contract(s) or agreement(s) entered into as a result of this contract notice shall be considered as a contract(s) or agreement(s) made under English law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. If an economic operator considers that any information supplied by it during this procurement process is commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for its sensitivity as well as the duration of that sensitivity specified. Economic operators should be aware that even where they have indicated that information is commercially sensitive, the authority may disclose it pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in response to a request for information where such disclosure is considered to be in the public interest. Please note that the receipt by any of the authority of any materials marked 'confidential' or equivalent shall not be taken to mean that the authority accepts any duty of confidence by virtue of that marking.