Energy Academy
Sustainable & Clean Power Procurement7 / 12

Supplier Criteria & Procurement Leverage

Requiring suppliers meet carbon/efficiency targets; sustainability clauses.

10 min read · Jacob Willis, Net Zero Lead · Last reviewed July 2026


An organisation's energy and carbon impact extends through its supply chain, and its purchasing power is a lever for change. Setting supplier criteria - using procurement to require energy and carbon performance from suppliers - extends energy management beyond the organisation's own walls.

In this lesson

  • 01Procurement as leverage
  • 02Whole-life cost, not purchase price
  • 03Energy and carbon criteria in purchasing
  • 04Setting supplier expectations
  • 05Sustainable procurement policy
  • 06Driving market change
  • 07Integrating with procurement practice
  • 08Sources and further reading