The Edinburgh Pathway

A collaborative route to a sustainable supply chain.

The Edinburgh Pathway is a structured approach that helps both suppliers and buyers build a collaborative, fair, sustainable supply chain.  

For buying organisations, including the University of Edinburgh, this means making sustainable decisions when purchasing. To do this, the Pathway ensures that buyers have the required knowledge, skills and data on carbon emissions and wider responsible procurement themes.   

For suppliers, the Pathway aims to supports the transition to net zero, setting out time-bound actions that follow a science-aligned decarbonisation pathway.  

Recognising that not all suppliers will be able to follow a science-aligned pathway in the specified timeframe, the Pathway is intended as one lever of several to support the University's carbon emission reduction targets. Other actions the University and other buyers can take to reduce supply chain emissions include:

  • reducing overall purchasing via demand management and embedding circular economy principles
  • switching to more sustainable suppliers and products where purchases remain necessary and suppliers are unable to meet science-aligned pathways

The Edinburgh Pathway objectives

The Edinburgh Pathway is an opportunity for buying organisations across the Further and Higher Education sector, as well as wider public bodies, to align their approach to responsible procurement. By taking a collaborative approach, we will:

  • reduce the resource implications for buying organisations and for suppliers by standardising supply chain requirements, and setting out timescales for action
  • promote best practice by increasing knowledge sharing and use of shared tools or resources
  • support local and national climate targets in alignment with a 1.5 degree global warming scenario

We are launching the Edinburgh Pathway at the University in November 2025 and will then work with partner organisations to bring them onboard. 

Further information for staff is available on the Procurement Hub.


Why we developed the Edinburgh Pathway

The University's supply chains account for a significant proportion of its carbon emissions. Due the size and diversity of our supply chains, we have the opportunity to make significant emissions reductions through our procurement practices and engagement with suppliers. The Pathway provides buyers suppliers with clear steps they must take to meaningfully reduce their climate impact. 

Our aim is to empower other public institutions, in particular those from across the Further and Higher Education Sector, to adopt the Pathway, creating consistency for suppliers and driving down the impact of our collective supply chain. 

How the Pathway was developed

The Edinburgh Pathway has built on the supply chain roadmap developed by NHS England in 2022.

Actions set out in the Edinburgh Pathway are similar to the NHS England roadmap, but include interim steps to support suppliers reach their targets and set out a timescale for science-aligned decarbonisation.

Since early 2024, we have undertaken an iterative process to build the Edinburgh Pathway, incorporating feedback from buyers, procurement colleagues, suppliers, as well as other responsible procurement experts within the sector and externally. 

The Edinburgh Pathway

Four strands of the Edinburgh pathway for buying organisations and suppliers. highlighting steps to take between 2025 and 2050
Specific steps for buying organisations and suppliers set out in the four strands of the Edinburgh Pathway. A PDF version is available below.

 

The Edinburgh Pathway is made up of four strands, each setting out timebound actions. Technical guidance to support buying organisations and suppliers is available on request.

For institutions and buying organisations

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By 2028, our buying community will have the knowledge, skills and tools to recognise key responsible procurement themes. Our processes will ensure that sustainability is considered alongside cost and quality when making a decision to purchase.

For suppliers

Orange circle with white megaphone icon in centre

By 2028, our highest-impact suppliers will have set science-aligned targets, underpinned by SMART action plans. We will see an increase in innovative products that support our ambitions to achieve net zero.

Purple circle with white graph icon in centre

By 2028, the quality of data available from suppliers will have matured from a broad spend-based methodology to product-level environmental detail. This will enable our buying community to make informed decisions on the products they require. 

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By 2028, we will be in position to track our suppliers commitments, highlighting good practice and notifying when action is needed to realign. We will use these to monitor the impact of our actions on scope 3 emissions.

How to get involved

Between July and October 2025, we will be engaging directly with the University Buying Community before formally launching the pathway in November 2025. 

Further information for University staff is available on the Procurement Hub (SharePoint).


We are taking a tiered approach to onboarding our supplier onto the Edinburgh Pathway. Starting with those we consider have the greatest impact on environmental sustainability and social impact.  

The Edinburgh Pathway will be included in appropriate new contracts from December 2025. At the same time, we will be approaching existing suppliers to encourage to adopt the pathway, and raising awareness that the Edinburgh Pathway will be included in future contracts. Suppliers will be invited to supplier-specific launch webinar where we will share further information on the pathway and answer questions on what this means for suppliers. 

If you are a supplier and are interested in signing up to the Edinburgh Pathway, or to keep informed regarding these supplier specific events, please contact the University's Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability.


Following our successful launch at the University of Edinburgh, we will be extending an invitation for other Further and Higher Education (FHE) Institutions and public bodies to adopt The Edinburgh Pathway as a way of addressing sustainability within our collective supply chains.

If you are a representing an FHE institution, or another public body interested in adopting the Edinburgh Pathway, please contact the University's Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability.


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