Suppliers Report 434 Million Metric Tons of Emissions Reductions as Big Buyers Flex Purchasing Muscle
PARIS, France, January 24, 2017 /3BL Media/ — As the global economy moves toward implementation of its new climate goals, the world’s largest purchasing organizations are using their buying clout to drive down emissions across their supply chains.
The “Missing Link: Harnessing the Power of Purchasing for a Sustainable Future” report from CDP, written in partnership with BSR and the Carbon Trust, reveals that reductions equivalent to 434 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—more than France’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2014i—were achieved by suppliers worldwide in 2016.
Report highlights include:
- Reductions greater than France’s annual emissions disclosed by suppliers worldwide in 2016
- Big buyers recognized for driving change in the supply chain include General Motors Company, Sky plc, and Sony Corporation
- Companies can do more with their buying clout, with only 22 percent working with their suppliers to reduce emissions and 16 percent engaging on water use
- Despite US$12.4 billion cost savings, suppliers failing to capitalize on low-carbon opportunities with fewer than half setting climate targets.
The reductions were disclosed to CDP, the not-for-profit global environmental data platform, at the request of 89 of the world’s largest purchasing organizations, including BMW, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and Walmart. These 89 big buyers wield a combined purchasing power of US$2.7 trillion.
The Paris Agreement on climate change, now in international law, requires global GHG emissions to be reduced to net zero well before the end of the century. With supply chains responsible for on average four times a company’s direct emissions, they are a critical focus area for global corporations seeking to avoid the risks and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the low-carbon transition.
The new report—which includes commentary from McKinsey & Company—also reveals the names of the 29 companies awarded a position on CDP’s first-ever supplier engagement leader board. Selected from more than 3,300 companies that were assessed, they are recognized as leaders for their work with suppliers to reduce emissions and lower climate-related risks in the supply chain.
They include:
- Braskem S/A: The Brazilian petrochemical company runs targeted workshops with its suppliers, which provide training and technical support on identifying opportunities to reduce emissions and lower costs. Nearly 44 percent of emissions outside Braskem’s direct control (scope 3) are now reported to the company.
- Hewlett-Packard: The American IT company has helped its suppliers avoid 800,000 metric tons of CO2e emissions and save more than US$65 million through development of energy-saving action plans targeting local efficiency improvements.
- Royal Philips: The Dutch technology company identifies so-called “risk suppliers” that it targets for participation in its numerous supplier sustainability programs. It has also developed a tool to help suppliers with less experience in disclosure to quantify their carbon emissions.
Dexter Galvin, Head of Supply Chain, CDP said: “We congratulate the 29 leading companies that are using their buying clout to drive change across their supply chains. Companies have a critical role to play in delivering on the Paris Agreement, and as well as setting their own house in order, it is essential they turn their attention to the risks and opportunities outsourced to their supply chain.”
“By harnessing their purchasing power, big buyers have the potential to deliver the large-scale, rapid change that is needed and lead the way towards our sustainable future.”
Nicola Kimm, Head of Sustainability, Philips Lighting said: “We are delighted to be recognized as global leaders for our work driving down emissions and improving efficiency in our supply chain. Lower emissions in the supply chain isn’t just about helping the environment, it’s a business imperative which boosts our competitive advantage and builds our resilience for a low carbon future.”
The report, which analyzes climate and water-related data disclosed by more than 4,300 companies, also indicates that the sustainability commitments and practices of leading organizations are not being replicated at scale downwards through the supply chain. Despite a 20 percent increase since 2015 in the number of big buyers requesting climate and water-related data from their suppliers, this is not translating into downstream action, with only 22 percent of responding companies currently engaging with their own suppliers on carbon emissions and 16 percent engaging with their suppliers on water use.
Common barriers to engagement include companies’ lack of experience in calculating and managing their own emissions, a perceived lack of leverage over business partners, costs associated with managing an engagement program, and an absence of mandatory requirements from customers or regulation.
Where companies are proactively engaging with their suppliers, they face a serious lack of transparency, with nearly half (47 percent) of suppliers not responding to their customers’ requests for climate- and water-related disclosure.
The data also reveal that suppliers are failing to capitalize on the myriad opportunities presented by the low-carbon transition. While they reported a combined US$12.4 billion in savings from emissions reduction projects, fewer than half (47 percent) have set climate targets and just 34 percent reported achieving a decrease in emissions in the past year. Only one-quarter of respondents are realizing climate opportunities by enabling their own suppliers to reduce emissions or growing revenue through sales of low-carbon products or services.
Tara Norton, Managing Director, BSR, said: “Large buyers have a tremendous opportunity to catalyze supplier climate action, both through addressing the drivers of inaction and by elevating and rewarding those suppliers that demonstrate leadership. This year’s report provides practical insights on how buyers can partner with suppliers for mutual benefit, including facilitating access to tools and resources that enable emissions reductions, providing incentives for good performance, and supporting suppliers to improve climate risk management, including setting science-based targets.”
The report contains a four-part framework, developed by the Carbon Trust, for companies to catalyze change within their supply chains. The framework sets out the journey to cascading sustainability throughout the supply chain, from understanding the risks and opportunities, to planning and taking action to embed sustainability within procurement processes.
Tom Delay, Chief Executive, Carbon Trust, said: “Supply chain is the next frontier in sustainability. Managing the environmental impact of your own operations is expected behavior. But the greatest opportunities for reductions are typically outside of direct operational control, in the supply chain. While some are showing what can be done today, the majority do not yet have a clear understanding of how to measure their impact or find the value in working with suppliers. Large public and private sector organizations can deliver change at the scale and speed required to address the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity. We hope that our insight and the examples from the leaders engaged with CDP help to accelerate the shift to a more sustainable, low carbon economy.”
About CDP
CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the global system for companies, cities, states and regions to measure, disclose, manage and share vital information on their environmental performance. CDP, voted number one climate research provider by investors, works with 827 institutional investors with assets of US$100 trillion and 89 purchasing organisations with a combined annual spend of over US$2.7 trillion, to motivate companies to disclose their impacts on the environment and natural resources and take action to reduce them. Some 5,800 companies, representing close to 60% global market capitalization, disclosed environmental information through CDP in 2016. CDP now holds the most comprehensive collection globally of primary corporate environmental data and puts these insights at the heart of strategic business, investment and policy decisions. Please visit www.cdp.net/ or follow us @CDP to find out more.
About BSR
BSR is a global nonprofit organization that works with its network of more than 250 member companies and other partners to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more information about BSR’s 25 years of leadership in sustainability.
About Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is an independent, expert partner of leading organisations around the world, helping them contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future. This work includes
- advising businesses, governments and the public sector on their opportunities in a sustainable, low carbon world;
- measuring and certifying the environmental footprint of organisations, supply chains and products; and
- developing and deploying low carbon technologies and solutions, from energy efficiency to renewable power.
The Carbon Trust has about 180 staff of 30 different nationalities, based in the UK, China, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and the USA. The Carbon Trust’s experts come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including engineering, business, policy and academia.
Media Contacts
BSR Contact: Cécile Gerondeau, Communications Associate
Phone: +33 7 63 99 32 51
Email: cgerondeau@bsr.org
CDP Contact: Sarah Savage, Communications Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 203 818 3913 or +44 (0) 7910 706 786
Email: sarah.savage@cdp.net
i UNFCCC (2016). GHG emission profiles for Annex I Parties and major groups. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Bonn. Available at: http://di.unfccc.int/Annex1.aspx
