Suppliers
We have recently partnered with Smart Carbon to engage our supply base on our carbon reporting information. As part of our carbon reporting of our organisation we are requesting suppliers to report their carbon emissions data via the Smart Carbon platform.
Why have I been asked for this information?
- We have published a target to reach Net Zero Carbon across our entire carbon footprint. We cannot achieve this without an equally committed supplier base.
- We need the carbon footprint performance for all organisations in our supply chain in order to report and track our carbon footprint (carbon emissions associated with scope 3 category 1 – purchased goods and services).
How can I report this data?
Here is a guidance note to support this carbon reporting and here is a FAQ document to answer any questions. Please also feel free to reach out to our inbox targeted for our suppliers sustainablesuppliers@newcastle.gov.uk
There are 3 ways you can report this data:
- Free (Lite) – SmartCarbon Lite account. Basic carbon calculator, for those organisations that have core data available (e.g. gas and electricity consumption) but haven’t yet calculated the carbon impact. The attached Data Collection Checklist attached will help you gather the information required for this process.
- Free – Report only account. For those organisations that have already calculated their carbon footprint and have the data ready to submit. This is a simple copy and paste exercise and should only take 10 minutes.
- Full - for those interested in full carbon reporting, you can receive a 10% NCC supplier discount for Smart Carbon. For more information, please contact this email.
For all 3 options, please use this link and select either free, lite, or full account. You will need to enter your work email account and the following supplier code to link your results to our account: NCC_Supplier.
If you already have a Smart Carbon account, please email support@smartcarboncalculator.com to link your details to Newcastle City Council.
Sustainable Supplier Event:
We are collaborating with the North East Public Sector on the Public Sector Sustainable and Social Value Supplier Event 2026. For more information please see: https://www.genee.org.uk/public-sector-event
Our previous event held in May 2025 was co-hosted by Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle City Council and sponsored by Net Zero North East, the event took place in person and online. If you couldn’t make it on the day, you can access the full recording here.
Additional Support:
For more information about how to report please see our webinar we held on the 23rd July.
Any other questions or issues with reporting please email sustainablesuppliers@newcastle.gov.uk or support@smartcarboncalculator.com
A number of recurring questions were asked in the webinar so to simplify responses we have collated these below:
What is the cost of using the SmartCarbon platform?
The SmartCarbon Reporting Only account and the SmartCarbon Lite account are free to use for suppliers to Newcastle City Council.
The SmartCarbon Reporting Only account is for those organisations that have already calculated their carbon footprint.
The SmartCarbon Lite account is a simplified version of the SmartCarbon Full account. The purpose of SmartCarbon Lite is to improve the accuracy of the Council’s scope 3 reporting, which is currently based on the amount of money that they spend on each supplier using the average industry carbon footprint for that type of product or service.
If a supplier wishes to calculate their carbon footprint on a more detailed basis to support their own decarbonisation activities and/or to provide more accurate information to other customers or regulators (as well as the Council), they are welcome to purchase a licence for the SmartCarbon Full account. Please contact SmartCarbon to discuss.
What time period does this relate to?
The Council is currently compiling its carbon footprint for the period April 2024 to March 2025. It is requesting data from suppliers that have supplied the Council during the same period.
If you provided goods or services to the Council during this period, please provide your annual carbon data. If your annual reporting period is different from that of the Council, (for example, based on a calendar year), then please provide the annual report that most closely corresponds to the Council’s reporting period.
Moving forward, if you are a regular supplier to the Council, please continue to provide your carbon reports on an annual basis.
Our organisation does not have access to energy use data
If you are able to request and obtain energy use data for the space you occupy from your landlord in kWh, please do so and use that information in your reporting under ‘Buildings’. If you only have data for the whole building, we recommend that you apportion the energy use to the area that you occupy.
If you are unable to obtain any energy data from your landlord, instead please use the following benchmarks to estimate your energy usage:
| Building type | Electricity (kWh/m2) | Gas (kWh/m2) |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, community & Leisure | 18 | 107 |
| Education | 51 | 176 |
| Emergency Services | 56 | 200 |
| Factories | 30 | 83 |
| Health | 81 | 193 |
| Hospitality | 112 | 242 |
| Offices | 59 | 166 |
| Shops | 84 | 205 |
| Warehouses | 27 | 62 |
| Other | 43 | 112 |
Source: The Non-Domestic National Energy Efficiency Data-Framework 2022 (England and Wales), Figure 19 and 20, p 26-27
Our organisation does not have access to waste data
Please measure the amount (in kg) of waste you are generating on a weekly basis, and then use that figure to estimate your annual waste generated. If your recyclable waste is segregated, please measure that separately.
If your recyclable waste is not segregated, please account for all your waste under ‘Other waste’. If you know specifically that a portion of your waste is going to landfill, please account for this under ‘Landfilled waste’.
Newcastle City Council is our landlord and provides a fully serviced building. How do we report on that?
Please account for your energy use and waste, as above. The priority is for your organisation to report on your complete carbon footprint. Please note in the comments section that the Council is your landlord, and then the Council will deal with any double-counting.
Newcastle City Council is our waste provider. How do we report on that?
Please account for your waste. The priority is for your organisation to report on your complete carbon footprint. Please note in the comments section that the Council is your waste provider, and then the Council will deal with any double-counting.
Our organisation is large and works internationally. Only the UK operations are relevant to our contract with the Council. Do we need to still need to report on the whole organisation?
If your organisation is split into distinct divisions and you are measuring your organisation’s carbon footprint by division, you may just report on the division that supplies to the Council.
In your reporting, please ensure that you include all activity that is included within that divisional boundary (i.e. building energy, company vehicles, business travel, employee commute, waste, transportation and distribution and goods and services). Make sure that the turnover figure that you provide relates to the same divisional boundary, rather than to your entire organisation.
If your organisation is not already split into distinct divisions, please report on your entire organisation’s activities.
Should business travel exclude miles travelled in an electric vehicle?
No. The platform uses emissions data for an average car, which already takes account of the current amount of electric vehicles being used in the UK.
Please enter the total mileage claimed by your employees and the platform will calculate emissions based upon the mix of vehicle and fuel type across the UK for the reporting year.