Often, it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint further at fewer additional costs and investments in the supply chain than in your own company.
The reduction potential depends on several factors. Some of them are:
• What products/services and supplies do you depend on?
• Where in the world are the individual components and raw materials
produced (transport and local energy generation)?
• How are they produced (what are the production processes)?
• Are there any alternative supplies or suppliers?
Cooperating with suppliers on calculating CO2 emissions and on achieving CO2 reductions is very similar to ordinary supplier management. If you already have a supplier management system and a code of conduct, it is relatively easy to add climate impact as an environment parameter. If you do not have a supplier management system, the CSR Compass (in Danish only) offers advice and guidance. This can be a comprehensive work, depending on the size of the supplier base. It may also be difficult for small companies to make demands on big suppliers or suppliers from which they only buy a small share of total production. So it can be a good idea to cooperate with the industry.
Below are some examples on demands that can be made on suppliers:
• The supplier observes regulations on energy consumption and emissions of
the six greenhouse gases stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol
• The supplier measures and documents greenhouse gas emissions and
energy consumption
• The supplier has set reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions and
energy consumption
• The supplier has set targets for consumption of renewable energy to
reduce fossil fuel consumption
• The supplier has an action plan for meeting the reduction targets
Your suppliers can reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions through many of the activities described under “Energy efficiency improvement” and “Transport”. By making demands on your suppliers, you also have a say in whether progress is made.