Responsible Procurement Impact Report

The City of London Corporation has published its third Responsible Procurement Impact Report, celebrating the positive outcomes delivered through its supply chain and showcasing how suppliers have supported its communities in 2025-2026.

Over the last year, substantial progress has been made in moving away from spend-based reporting towards contract-specific carbon data. This year, 40 suppliers provided contract-specific emissions data, covering nearly 50% of spend on purchased goods and services.

The report showcases these achievements alongside many others, illustrating the great progress being made towards the ambitious goals set out in our Responsible Procurement Policy. A key aim of the Policy is to provide direction and leadership for suppliers on the areas that matter, ranging from climate action and social value to supplier diversity and ethical employment.

The procurement decisions made across the City Corporation’s 18 departments are significant, and of the six supply chain commitments to which the City Corporation holds itself accountable, reducing carbon emissions throughout our supply chain remains a key priority.

Another example highlighting this progress is the participation of six SME suppliers in Heart of the City’s funded SME Net Zero Accelerator, with commitments from Spence Refit and RG Jones to collectively save at least 18,000 tCO2e by 2050, equivalent to 571,428 cups of tea!

Making meaningful impact is not always easy and it is rarely achieved alone. Here are some further achievements from our Impact Report 2025-2026:

• 9,808kg CO₂e saved through DHL's Sustainability Centre by redeploying as-new uniforms for the City of London’s Police instead of manufacturing new ones – equivalent to the carbon footprint of around 1,500 t-shirts.
• 189 hours of volunteering were delivered to Hestia, London’s largest provider of modern slavery support, through safe houses and community outreach by 22 colleagues from construction company, Sykes & Son.
• 40 SMEs engaged by Buro Happold, a City Corporation consultant, to shape innovative climate solutions for the Square Mile through a collaborative workshop.
• 31,752 training hours delivered through live service delivery at our events to participants working toward employability and rehabilitation outcomes by Clink Events.
• 62% of all dairy milk on Holroyd Howe catering contracts is now RSPCA Assured, supporting animal welfare and British farming practices since January 2026.
• 16 months, the duration of an internship appointed by Lightbulb Analytics, a City Corporation consultant, supporting software development and long-term skills building.

Deputy Benjamin Murphy, Chair of Projects & Procurement Sub-Committee said:

“At the City of London Corporation, we believe responsible procurement is not an optional extra; it is fundamental to how we provide excellent services. Every purchasing decision is a chance to generate wider value for society.

This year, we received more evidence of positive impact from our contract managers and suppliers than ever before. In this impact report, I am proud to share the many ways our supply chain has delivered meaningful impact through; supporting apprenticeships, championing small and diverse businesses, reducing carbon emissions, advancing modern slavery awareness and investing directly in local communities.

These achievements demonstrate what is possible when organisations work together with shared purpose. Partnership is woven into the DNA of the City Corporation and remains essential to delivering the best outcomes for the people we serve. My sincere thanks to all our contract managers, suppliers and partners for their commitment, innovation and generosity. While we are proud of the progress made, we know there is always more to do because, as we often say, “better never stops”.

After 900 years of delivering service for and with the community, the City Corporation is proud to work with suppliers that share its values. The stories and statistics in this report show what that looks like across the supply chain, large and small, familiar and new.