How UK Manufacturers Can Drive Supply Chain Decarbonisation with Envizi

How UK Manufacturers Can Drive Supply Chain Decarbonisation with Envizi

Suppliers, partners, and outsourced operations represent a significant portion of a company’s environmental footprint, often accounting for over 70% of total emissions under Scope 3. Manufacturers can no longer afford to overlook what’s happening upstream. Investors, regulators, and customers alike demand transparency, accountability, and action on supply chain emissions.

Under frameworks like the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies are expected to report their Scope 3 emissions, including those generated by suppliers.

According to CDP, suppliers generate an average of 11.4 times more emissions than a company’s direct operations. However, only 36% of companies reported their scope 3, category 1 purchased goods and services emissions, and for those that did report, these emissions contributed the largest proportion of scope 3 (43%).

For manufacturers, this means accurately capturing emissions data from a diverse and often complex supply chain. But supplier sustainability data is notoriously difficult to track: it’s scattered, inconsistent, and often reliant on manual processes or estimates.

Strategies for Tackling Supply Chain Emissions

Manufacturers that act now to monitor, manage, and reduce supplier emissions will be better positioned to win new business, build brand trust, and attract climate-conscious investors.

Leading manufacturers are turning to digital tools and data-driven strategies to solve this. By combining technology like IBM Envizi with proactive supplier engagement, manufacturers can turn ESG goals into measurable, scalable outcomes.

Supplier Footprint Mapping: Begin by identifying key suppliers based on spend, risk, and environmental impact. Tier 1 suppliers are often the easiest to engage, but Tier 2 and beyond can have substantial hidden emissions.
Establish Data Collection Protocols: Request emissions data from suppliers and encourage them to follow recognised standards such as GHG Protocol or ISO 14064. To simplify the process, templates or digital tools are often provided.
Use Centralised Platforms like IBM Envizi: Envizi automates the collection, normalisation, and analysis of supplier emissions data, eliminating spreadsheets and manual chasing. Suppliers can input their data directly or integrate existing systems with Envizi.

IBM Envizi provides a comprehensive approach to tracking and improving supplier emissions. It easily collects Scope 3 data from suppliers, whether via direct entry, uploaded data, or API integrations. Envizi supports emission factor libraries and conversion protocols for accurate carbon accounting.

Envizi aligns supplier reporting with CSRD, CDP, ISSB, and GRI standards, ensuring consistency and reducing duplication across frameworks. Utilise the tool to segment suppliers by emissions intensity, region, or compliance status. Prioritise engagement with high-impact or high-risk suppliers to reduce emissions and improve resilience, and use dynamic dashboards to monitor supplier performance, flag high-risk contributors, and report progress internally or to investors.

Engage and Educate Suppliers: Sustainability performance should become part of supplier onboarding and performance evaluation.
Track Progress and Report Transparently: Keep a clear digital trail of data sources, assumptions, and calculations. IBM Envizi in-built dashboards and scorecards can be used to present emission and sustainability metrics across the supplier network, empowering procurement, sustainability, and executive teams.