Government officials, investors, and customers are all paying more attention to how businesses affect the environment in today’s climate-conscious world. As collaborators start to think about how climate-related risks affect a company’s whole value chain, they look at more than just its own operations. They also look at its whole Supply Chain. The goal of supply chain decarbonization is becoming more important as pollution from the supply chain gets more attention.

The good news? Making the supply line more eco-friendly is not only good for the environment, but also good for business. You can use this blog post as a map to find your way around the world of supply chain decarbonization.

Understanding Supply Chain Emissions

Most businesses focus on reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are the emissions generated from their operations, such as those from office buildings or energy consumption. But in reality, the majority of a company’s emissions come from its supply chain, which is called scope 3 emissions.

These cover transportation, packaging, raw material manufacture emissions, and product end-of-life disposal. That’s why scope 3 emissions management has become a vital part of any serious sustainability strategy.

The CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) claims that supply chain emissions may be more than 11 times higher than direct emissions of a corporation. This means that a company’s influence won’t be much changed even if it moves to renewable energy or electric vehicles unless its suppliers similarly reduce emissions.

Why Procurement Plays a Central Role

The responsibility for choosing suppliers, negotiating contracts, and determining the origin of materials lies with procurement teams. This means that procurement teams directly control the types of businesses included in the supply chain and whether those businesses adopt environmentally friendly policies.

A good procurement manager should look beyond just speed and cost. Carbon performance is now equally important, and selecting low-emission vendors or those with science-based climate targets can make a significant difference. This is where strategies like green logistics optimization and carbon accounting in procurement come into play, ensuring that every step, from sourcing to delivery, aligns with broader sustainability goals. Procurement today isn’t just about cost control, it’s about environmental responsibility, too.

Decarbonizing The Supply Chain In 6 Steps

Below are the 6 steps for decarbonizing the SC:

Connect Suppliers To CDP

Connect suppliers to CDP, a global non-profit organization that does environmental impact assessments. With the use of CDP’s insights into suppliers’ climate action maturity, companies will be able to gauge their adherence to science-based goals and track their progress.

Use Data To Select Suppliers

Make use of these data-driven insights when choosing your preferred vendors. Buyers can pick suppliers based on how ready they are to take action on climate change by getting suppliers to provide accurate data about their pollution and climate readiness and using insights based on that data.

Build Supplier Capability

Develop supplier capability actively. Utilize the experience of partner groups such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, SME Climate Hub, or CDP to assist suppliers in developing their corporate climate action strategy.

Conduct On-Site Assessments

Check it out for yourself. Since companies and their suppliers are essentially in the same industry, finding decarbonization potential during an on-site inspection is frequently not too difficult. To reduce carbon emissions at a reasonable cost, for example, it is easy to visit a Chinese supplier’s production plant and identify energy efficiency opportunities.

Encourage Climate Action

Provide incentives to suppliers. Give suppliers credit for lowering their supply chain carbon footprint at the very least to help their brand. Furthermore, it is possible to offer better payment conditions to suppliers who actively combat climate change.

Advocate Industry-Wide Change

Encourage climate action. Work with a network of partners to make decarbonization the new normal in your industry. To promote sustainable public procurement procedures, for instance, collaborate with your partners to standardize sustainable public procurement practices.

Challenges Faced When Decarbonizing The Supply Chain

Making Decarbonization A Core Business Priority

Getting rid of carbon from the whole value chain is a big job that requires significant time, resources, and strategy. Companies should work with sustainability experts and leverage their experience, tools, and knowledge to navigate this complex process.

For instance, nine companies have joined the first group of PPA buyers in the Energize program, a collaborative effort by the pharmaceutical industry. Together, they will utilize 2 TWh of renewable energy across Europe and North America to reduce their supply chain carbon footprint and improve Scope 3 emissions management.

Partnering With Experts To Accelerate Impact

Sustainability and decarbonization can’t be side programs. If not integrated into core business strategy, they risk being underfunded and overlooked. To drive real change, companies must link decarbonization to business performance and make it a leadership priority.

In addition to focusing on clean energy, organizations must adopt practices such as carbon accounting in procurement and green logistics optimization to reduce emissions across every stage of the supply chain.

Supplier Collaboration

Scope 3 emissions, primarily from suppliers, can account for more than 90% of a company’s total emissions, according to reports. These emissions are difficult to monitor but hold the greatest potential for reduction. This is why collaboration with suppliers is so critical for effective Scope 3 emissions management.

Real change happens when companies and suppliers collaborate, share knowledge, and act swiftly. While supply chain decarbonization isn’t easy, implementing strategies like carbon accounting in procurement and optimizing logistics for lower emissions can lead to a smarter, more resilient, and environmentally responsible supply chain. It’s a collective journey that helps reduce the supply chain carbon footprint while aligning sustainability with business success.

Conclusion

Decarbonizing the supply chain is no longer optional, it’s essential. Procurement leaders are in a unique position to drive transformative change by embedding sustainability into supplier decisions, contracts, and strategies. By focusing on Scope 3 emissions management, embracing green logistics optimization, and adopting robust carbon accounting in procurement practices, businesses can not only reduce their environmental impact but also unlock new efficiencies and cost savings.

At Company Reflowx, we specialize in helping organizations design sustainable supply chain strategies that go beyond compliance and deliver real-world impact. From supplier assessments to custom decarbonization roadmaps, we provide the tools and expertise to support your goals.

Get in touch with us today to schedule a free sustainability consultation and start transforming your procurement practices.