Activating Your Board on Scope 3 Action: Best Practices

Key Points

• Board Members are facing increased pressure to act on all aspects of sustainability, and especially on climate. Make the Scope 3 Journey tangible for them.

• Talk business: A changed mindset is key. Climate-related risks, strategies and opportunities are essential for a company’s transformation and growth over the short, medium, and long term.

• Be approachable, communicate clear and easy, share your knowledge and best practices.

Even as climate disclosure regulation comes into play and companies set Net-Zero targets, engagement from corporate leaders on decarbonization, and specifically on value chain emission reduction remains often limited. And yet, delivering on international climate targets and market demands requires significant internal mobilization and the integration of climate into core business operations.

In this webinar we discovered together with Andrew Wanliss-Orlebar, Chief Strategy Officer at Futerra, the logic and magic needed to mobilize internal stakeholders to accelerate your organization’s climate journey towards decarbonization excellence.

Online live CHOICE Event #72, 16th April.

Activating your board, leaders and decision-makers on Scope 3 Action is not just a matter of compliance; it's a strategic imperative for growth, resilience, and long-term success. As Chief Sustainability Officer, Procurement Manager or Innovation Lead you are at the forefront of this crucial movement!

Here's how you can effectively engage your board on Climate Action, focusing on Scope 3 Action.

When Activating your Board on Climate, make sure to Not get lost in the ESG-Alphabet-Soup

1. Get People Excited: The first step is to share passion and enthusiasm for the cause. But recognize that your leaders are inundated with responsibilities. Frame the conversation so they easily understand, emphasizing the business imperative and the opportunities.

2. Speak Their Language: Simplify complex concepts and avoid drowning your board in the ESG-Alphabet-Soup. Research shows that only a around 25% of board members feel adequately prepared to discuss environmental issues. Therefore, break down especially the topic of Scope 3 into digestible chunks: focusing on climate risk, reduction strategies, compliance, and business intelligence.

3. Make it Relevant: Contextualize Scope 3 Action within the broader context of reaching climate targets and creating a transition plan that involves business partners. Highlight how addressing Scope 3 can lead to more circularity, innovation and enhanced supply chain resilience.

7 Best Practices to Activate Your Board on Climate

Let's do this! Top Action to Active your Board

• Simplify communication by avoiding acronyms and using straightforward language.

• Prioritize action over green claims to show your work is trustworthy and credible.

• Embed climate considerations into financial discussions, showcasing the link between emissions reduction and business growth.

• Benchmark your company's climate performance against peers to identify areas for improvement and best practices.

• Engage suppliers and partners to scale Scope 3 Action and drive emissions reductions throughout the value chain.

• Invest in intelligent tools to track real-time data and support suppliers in their decarbonization journey.

• Embrace a culture of experimentation, learning from mistakes, and iterating quickly to accelerate progress.

Last but not least - Lessons Learned. Reflect on your learning and engagement journey. Share your insights and make sure that your leaders know the importance of making climate relevant business decisions, fostering shared leadership in climate action. Prioritize building competencies and structures internally and in your value chain, enhancing oversight mechanisms to ensure effective engagement and action on climate.

In conclusion, activating your board on Scope 3 Action requires a multifaceted approach that blends strategic communication, relevant framing, and robust governance mechanisms. By leveraging these strategies, you can empower your board to drive meaningful change, aligning your organization with the imperative of addressing climate change while unlocking new opportunities.

Make Scope 3 Action your Business, join us at #CTS2024!

Climate Transformation Summit 2024 is dedicated to advancing Scope 3 Action in your supply chain. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to meet, learn, and collaborate with your peers, all in one place on 12th September in Berlin.

Here's what awaits you at #CTS2024:

✅ Meet and mingle with like-minded Sustainability- and Procurement Leaders (CxOs)

✅ Participate in hands-on Workshops designed to accelerate Scope 3 Action and share Best Practices

✅ Explore the Why, What, and How of #CTS2024 in our Summit Pitch, available here.

Get on the Waiting List to secure your Early Bird Ticket.