UK to Replace Green Contract Rules With Youth Job Requirement Across £90bn Procurement

The UK government will drop green and progressive value requirements from government contract bids, replacing them with a mandate that firms help young people into work. First Secretary of State Louise Haigh announced the shift on August 4, 2026. The change redefines "social value" across roughly £90bn in annual procurement. Environmental groups including Greenpeace UK and Friends of the Earth criticised the trade-off. A Labour source said the government expects pushback.