Part 4 of 8 | Net Zero Requires Supply Chain Action

Net Zero Means Every Business - Including Your Suppliers  

To reach net zero, you need to look far beyond your own Scope 1 and 2 operations. You need to bring your entire supply chain with you. It is likely to contribute upwards of 80-90% of your overall carbon footprint.  

You are highly likely to be a part of someone else’s supply chain emissions too, by your suppliers helping you, they are also helping you to help the businesses you supply to. 

Even that one scary supplier who denies climate change, it will be a case of report on your emissions or lose business to suppliers who do, there is simply no way of achieving net zero with non-compliant suppliers. 

That’s because the largest portion of your emissions (often 80–90%) comes from outside your direct control. These are called Scope 3 emissions, and they include everything from: 

• The materials you buy 
• The goods you transport 
• The products you sell 
• And even how customers use and dispose of what you deliver 

In other words: your emissions are everyone’s emissions. By communicating your emissions, you are helping others understand theirs better. By reducing your emissions, you are helping others reduce their emissions. 

One Business Alone Can’t Reach Net Zero, But All of Us Together Can 

Net zero is only possible when every business is reducing its footprint.  

All businesses are connected. 

• Your suppliers’ emissions become your emissions. 
• Your products’ emissions become your customer’s emissions. 
• If they’re not reducing, you can’t reduce either, at least, not credibly. 

That’s why the only way for any business to truly achieve net zero is if their entire supply chain is aligned. 

That means:
✅ 100% of suppliers reporting their carbon footprint
✅ 100% of suppliers setting reduction plans
✅ 100% of suppliers working toward net zero themselves 

Why Supply Chain Action Is Now a Business Priority 

It’s not just a sustainability issue, it’s a business concern: 

• Clients, investors, and regulators are demanding full emissions visibility. 
• ESG ratings and procurement decisions increasingly rely on Scope 3 disclosures. 
• Many tenders now require evidence that your suppliers are taking climate action. 

By building a supply chain where every supplier is working toward net zero, you strengthen your own performance, credibility, and competitive position. 

The Shift Has Already Started 

Progressive companies are already asking their suppliers to: 

• Measure and report their emissions 
• Share data in common platforms 
• Commit to verified reduction plans 
• Undergo independent verification or certification 

 It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress and alignment.
The goal? An interconnected system of businesses that are all moving in the same direction. 

 Get in touch today and book in a call here: 

https://zcal.co/t/csm/nczexploratory 

Contact us: jacob@neutralcarbonzone.com