Select your suppliers to include

0. Supplier screening

If you have not yet calculated your Scope 3 emissions per supplier, we will need to do a Supplier Screening Exercise, which we can do based on the SIC code of your suppliers and the amount you spend with them

1. Rank suppliers by their carbon contribution

The first step in the process is to rank your suppliers in terms of their contribution to your carbon footprint to allow you to choose which ones to include in the programme.

2. Select key suppliers

We recommend selecting your key suppliers (the ones that represent 60-80% of your supply-chain emissions) for the 1st round of the programme.

3. Research public statements

Before you start engaging with your suppliers, it is important to find out what you can about their carbon journey by conducting online/desk research to understand:

Do they have a carbon/climate policy?
Have they published their emissions? How comprehensive is their calculation?
Have they set reduction targets and what level of ambition do they have?
What reductions/removals have they already made?

Example supplier carbon report

We also need to find out if they are willing to share information that is not publicly available and prepared for you to engage with them about their carbon journey?

This will help us tailor your approach and may even provide the information we need without the need to survey them.

4. Categorise your suppliers

The next step is to categorise your suppliers according to the relationship you have with them. This is an important first step before you ask them to do anything, since it will impact the way in which you are able to engage with them.

We find it helpful to split suppliers into 2 categories:

A. Suppliers you can actively engage with:

These are the suppliers with whom you have a personal relationship
You may know the team there or have an account manager
Or, they may have indicated in the online research that they are willing to engage on this topic
If you ask them a question you would expect to get a detailed and personal response

B. Suppliers you can only passively engage with

Some suppliers may be so large that your business with them is negligible for them (even though it may be significant for you)
Or, your business with them may be very transactional (e.g. you just purchase software licences or they are an online retailer)
Even if they have a helpline, you struggle to get more than a standard response

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